With Wacko Jacko’s trial looming sometime in the future, there is a rather interesting one that just started involving Jayson Williams (former NBA star) and his accidental and fatal shooting of a chauffeur at his house. JW doesn’t deny that it happened, only that it was a horrible accident. Which I believe it was, but still reckless, as the guy’s got a history of playing with guns….
In a new article by CourtTV, there’s discussion of the fact that JW is going to take the stand to defend himself. What’s interesting is that there are prior incidents involving gun-play that the judge has ruled inadmissible in this case…here’s a short snippet from that article:
Before the trial began, Judge Edward Coleman ruled that prosecutors could not tell the jury about two previous shooting incidents allegedly involving Williams.
In 1994, a handgun Williams was holding in the parking lot of the Meadowlands arena went off, striking the hubcap of a vehicle. Williams completed a diversionary program of community service and charges were not pursued.
Prosecutors say the second incident occurred at Williams’ mansion just six months before Christofi’s shooting. Williams allegedly bet houseguest and former pro basketball player Dwayne Schintzius $100 that he could not drag Williams’ Rottweiler guard dog from the house. Schintzius pulled the dog outdoors, but instead of paying up, prosecutors claim, Williams shot the dog twice, killing and “almost decapitating” it, and then pointed the gun at his friend, telling him “get this f—ing dog off my porch or you’re next.”
Now the question is can the prosecutor trick JW into opening this Pandora’s box by his own testimony? Certain questions and responses could give the prosecution the ability to bring up these incidents as well. I love this ‘expert’s’ opinion on that possibility:
“Take an innocuous question like, ‘Do you know guns are dangerous?'” said Fahy, who was prosecutor during the 1994 shooting. “If he says yes, you ask him how he knows that. If he says no, you say, ‘Really? Where’s your dog?'”
Oh, and I almost forgot! JW’s wife has launched a <sarcastic>heart-warming and convincing</sarcastic> website about her husband and why he’s innocent in her eyes.
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