Post by lazarus on Sept 21, 2005 11:02:49 GMT -5
Posted on Wed, Sep. 21, 2005
Prosecution granted a continuance for assault case
By CHRISTINE VENDEL
The Kansas City Star
Chiefs running back Larry Johnson appeared in Kansas City Municipal Court on Tuesday morning to stand trial on an assault charge, but the judge postponed his case to November.
A 25-year-old Overland Park woman accused Johnson of shoving her to the floor of a Country Club Plaza bar on Sept. 10, according to a Kansas City police report the woman now disputes.
The woman told police she had been involved in an intimate relationship with Johnson for two and a half years. She said she and Johnson argued at The Drink, 919 W. 47th St., after Johnson arrived with another woman.
Police cited Johnson for assault by writing him a ticket, which included a court date for Tuesday.
The city prosecutor requested the continuance, saying, “A witness is not here,” referring to the woman.
Johnson’s attorney, Kevin Regan, objected to the delay and said his client planned to plead not guilty. Regan said he had five witnesses ready to testify, two of whom worked at the bar and three who were bystanders.
A continuance “would be a gross injustice to my client, who is ready to defend himself,” Regan said.
Johnson wore a gray suit and stood silently in court with his hands in his pants pockets.
Regan said the woman did not sign the ticket and had tried to clarify her statement to police, but investigators would not listen. He said “most of the allegations in the (police) report are inaccurate.”
He also said Johnson is facing “a very serious diversion matter,” in Johnson County District Court. “We’re ready for trial,” Regan said.
The Kansas City incident could prompt the reinstatement of charges in Johnson County for an alleged assault in Johnson’s Leawood home, where he was accused of slapping a woman and threatening her with a gun. Johnson avoided charges by agreeing in February 2004 to enter a domestic-violence diversion program. As part of the deal, he had to stay clear of legal trouble for two years.
Johnson County District Attorney Paul Morrison is investigating whether the dispute at The Drink violated Johnson’s agreement.
Morrison said Tuesday that his office does not have to wait for the Kansas City proceedings to play out before deciding whether to take action. His staff is interviewing people, and he hopes to decide in a couple of weeks whether to move to dissolve Johnson’s diversion agreement.
The Johnson County aggravated assault charge carries a prison sentence of 11 to 34 months. The misdemeanor battery charge carries a sentence of up to six months in the county jail.
Kansas City Municipal Court Judge Leonard Hughes III said he typically allows prosecutors one or two continuances and would not deviate Tuesday just because this was a high-profile case. He set Johnson’s next court appearance for Nov. 29.
As Johnson left the courthouse, a pack of reporters and camera operators followed. Johnson walked with his mother to a Dodge Durango and left without speaking to the media.
Instead, Regan addressed the reporters. He said the woman does not agree with the version of events in the police report. He said she “was not allowed to clarify” the report.
Her attorney, Michael Yonke, attended Tuesday’s court appearance but declined to comment.
Regan said he hired a team of private investigators, who have “taken a lot of statements and done a lot of work. All of the statements indicate that Larry’s not good for this.”
Regan gave the following version of what happened about 12:30 a.m. Sept. 10 at The Drink:
Johnson was upstairs in the bar, “minding his own business,” and “holding hands with his date. He was not drinking.” That’s when the Overland Park woman, whom he described as an ex-girlfriend, appeared. She was “intoxicated” and angry that Johnson was with another woman.
A security guard escorted her away, but she persuaded him to let her return to her friends. Instead, she “got in Larry’s face,” and perhaps slipped on a stairwell during the confusion.
Regan said the woman “would allege that her bruises came from the bouncer,” not from Johnson.
“It was a case of emotion and bad judgment,” he said.
About 10 hours after the incident, the woman went to a Kansas City police station and asked to file a police report. She told police she wanted to document the incident but did not want to press charges.
According to that report, she told an officer that Johnson approached her and they argued about him being with another woman. She said Johnson tried to get her booted from the bar by telling the bouncer he was a Kansas City Chief. After the manager said she could stay, the woman again approached Johnson and the other woman.
That’s when Johnson “became enraged” and pushed her backward, causing her to fall on the floor, the report said.
The report also noted that the woman was hesitant about naming her attacker. But as she recounted the event, police said, she named Larry Johnson as the suspect and said he worked for the Chiefs.
Although Regan said Tuesday the police report was “full of inaccuracies,” police spokesman Capt. Rich Lockhart said a municipal domestic assault report only reflects what the victim told the officer.
“If it’s wrong or inaccurate, it’s because she provided us wrong or inaccurate information,” Lockhart said.
Prosecution granted a continuance for assault case
By CHRISTINE VENDEL
The Kansas City Star
Chiefs running back Larry Johnson appeared in Kansas City Municipal Court on Tuesday morning to stand trial on an assault charge, but the judge postponed his case to November.
A 25-year-old Overland Park woman accused Johnson of shoving her to the floor of a Country Club Plaza bar on Sept. 10, according to a Kansas City police report the woman now disputes.
The woman told police she had been involved in an intimate relationship with Johnson for two and a half years. She said she and Johnson argued at The Drink, 919 W. 47th St., after Johnson arrived with another woman.
Police cited Johnson for assault by writing him a ticket, which included a court date for Tuesday.
The city prosecutor requested the continuance, saying, “A witness is not here,” referring to the woman.
Johnson’s attorney, Kevin Regan, objected to the delay and said his client planned to plead not guilty. Regan said he had five witnesses ready to testify, two of whom worked at the bar and three who were bystanders.
A continuance “would be a gross injustice to my client, who is ready to defend himself,” Regan said.
Johnson wore a gray suit and stood silently in court with his hands in his pants pockets.
Regan said the woman did not sign the ticket and had tried to clarify her statement to police, but investigators would not listen. He said “most of the allegations in the (police) report are inaccurate.”
He also said Johnson is facing “a very serious diversion matter,” in Johnson County District Court. “We’re ready for trial,” Regan said.
The Kansas City incident could prompt the reinstatement of charges in Johnson County for an alleged assault in Johnson’s Leawood home, where he was accused of slapping a woman and threatening her with a gun. Johnson avoided charges by agreeing in February 2004 to enter a domestic-violence diversion program. As part of the deal, he had to stay clear of legal trouble for two years.
Johnson County District Attorney Paul Morrison is investigating whether the dispute at The Drink violated Johnson’s agreement.
Morrison said Tuesday that his office does not have to wait for the Kansas City proceedings to play out before deciding whether to take action. His staff is interviewing people, and he hopes to decide in a couple of weeks whether to move to dissolve Johnson’s diversion agreement.
The Johnson County aggravated assault charge carries a prison sentence of 11 to 34 months. The misdemeanor battery charge carries a sentence of up to six months in the county jail.
Kansas City Municipal Court Judge Leonard Hughes III said he typically allows prosecutors one or two continuances and would not deviate Tuesday just because this was a high-profile case. He set Johnson’s next court appearance for Nov. 29.
As Johnson left the courthouse, a pack of reporters and camera operators followed. Johnson walked with his mother to a Dodge Durango and left without speaking to the media.
Instead, Regan addressed the reporters. He said the woman does not agree with the version of events in the police report. He said she “was not allowed to clarify” the report.
Her attorney, Michael Yonke, attended Tuesday’s court appearance but declined to comment.
Regan said he hired a team of private investigators, who have “taken a lot of statements and done a lot of work. All of the statements indicate that Larry’s not good for this.”
Regan gave the following version of what happened about 12:30 a.m. Sept. 10 at The Drink:
Johnson was upstairs in the bar, “minding his own business,” and “holding hands with his date. He was not drinking.” That’s when the Overland Park woman, whom he described as an ex-girlfriend, appeared. She was “intoxicated” and angry that Johnson was with another woman.
A security guard escorted her away, but she persuaded him to let her return to her friends. Instead, she “got in Larry’s face,” and perhaps slipped on a stairwell during the confusion.
Regan said the woman “would allege that her bruises came from the bouncer,” not from Johnson.
“It was a case of emotion and bad judgment,” he said.
About 10 hours after the incident, the woman went to a Kansas City police station and asked to file a police report. She told police she wanted to document the incident but did not want to press charges.
According to that report, she told an officer that Johnson approached her and they argued about him being with another woman. She said Johnson tried to get her booted from the bar by telling the bouncer he was a Kansas City Chief. After the manager said she could stay, the woman again approached Johnson and the other woman.
That’s when Johnson “became enraged” and pushed her backward, causing her to fall on the floor, the report said.
The report also noted that the woman was hesitant about naming her attacker. But as she recounted the event, police said, she named Larry Johnson as the suspect and said he worked for the Chiefs.
Although Regan said Tuesday the police report was “full of inaccuracies,” police spokesman Capt. Rich Lockhart said a municipal domestic assault report only reflects what the victim told the officer.
“If it’s wrong or inaccurate, it’s because she provided us wrong or inaccurate information,” Lockhart said.