Legal - Football Wiretap

Giants Attempt To Recover $300M Loss From Lehman Brothers

May 22, 2014 7:04 PM

The New York Giants have taken a staggering $300 million hit from the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. The owners of the team have filed a claim in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan seeking to recover $301.8 million from the failed investment bank. John Mara, the Giants president and co-owner, signed off on the claim. The Giants and the New York Jets are building a new $1.6 billion stadium in New Jersey that will serve as the home for both New York metro-area football teams.

Wall Street Journal

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Report: Police To Interview Raiders Head Coach

Sep 17, 2014 10:48 AM

Investigators are planning to interview Raiders head coach Tom Cable about an alleged altercation that ended with assistant Randy Hanson in the hospital, according to an Associated Press report. A spokesperson for the Napa police department told ESPN.com on Wednesday that Cable would be interviewed as part of the investigation.

AP

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Ravens Rookie Arrested As Cell Phone Is Mistaken For Gun

Oct 31, 2014 6:10 AM

Ravens undrafted rookie linebacker Tony Fein was arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer on Sunday. A security officer thought he saw Fein pass a handgun to one of his friends at a restaurant, but it turned out to be a cell phone. When police questioned Fein he became belligerent and shoved the officer, according to the police report. Fein's agent claims it was the officer that got physical.

ESPN

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Source: Vick To Appear In Court Thursday

Nov 2, 2014 3:55 PM

Michael Vick will appear in bankruptcy court in Newport News, Va. on Thursday morning. After testifying at the confirmation hearing, Vick will fly back to Philadelphia for the team's third preseason game. Vick is scheduled to fly to Virginia late Wednesday night after the Eagles hold a mock game in practice, a source told ESPN's Sal Paolantonio on Sunday.

ESPN

Tags: Philadelphia Eagles, Legal

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Burress Hires Prison Consultant

Jul 19, 2014 1:29 AM

Plaxico Burress has hired a consultant to help him prepare for life behind bars. Burress is getting advice on "how to use his period of confinement as productively as possible." He pleaded guilty on Thursday to one count of attempted criminal possession of a weapon, which calls for a two-year prison term.

Yahoo! Sports

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Tampa Bay's Talib Arrested, Charged With Battery

Oct 17, 2014 12:55 PM

Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib was arrested early Thursday and charged with battery and resisting arrest. Talib struck a cab driver in the right ear and neck with a closed fist on Wednesday night, according to media reports out of Tampa Bay. When police arrived on the scene Talib and two other men were passengers in the cab. Police asked Talib to get out of the car three times and he did not cooperate, according to the police report.

ESPN

Tags: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Legal

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Assaulted Raiders Coach Cooperating With Police

Oct 19, 2014 2:34 AM

An attorney representing injured Oakland Raiders assistant coach Randy Hanson will turn over medical records at the request of the Napa, Calif., police on Friday that show Hanson?s jaw is broken, multiple sources told the National Football Post. San Francisco attorney John McGuinn has been hired to represent Hanson, and police have been attempting to gain information from Hanson in recent days. Lt. Brian McGovern said earlier this week that if Hanson?s jaw is broken, it could lead to felony charges in the alleged assault that took place at the Raiders? training camp facility. The source said Hanson suffered a fracture in his upper jaw and that he had to seek additional emergency room treatment Wednesday night near his home in Livermore, Calif., for lower jaw pain two weeks after the incident. Cable has declined to comment on the matter, telling reporters it was an internal issue. However, NFL Security is investigating, and now law enforcement is expected to receive cooperation from Hanson and McGuinn, which will likely lead to an investigation three weeks before the beginning of the regular season. Police took a report about the incident on Aug. 6 at a hospital in Napa when Hanson was receiving X-rays. Any violation of the NFL?s personal conduct policy could lead to punishment from Commissioner Roger Goodell. The alleged assault took place Aug. 5 after Cable informed Hanson he would no longer be involved with coaching defensive backs on the field and would be relegated to film work, the source said.

National Football Post

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Burress Pleads Guilty, Agrees To Serve Two-Year Prison Term

May 17, 2014 3:15 AM

Plaxico Burress pleaded guilty to a weapons charge on Thursday and agreed to a two-year prison term for accidentally shooting himself at a Manhattan nightclub. Burress pleaded guilty to one count of attempted criminal possession of a weapon, a lesser charge than he initially faced. Under a plea agreement, he agreed to a two-year prison sentence and two years of supervised release. Burress was indicted earlier this month on two counts of criminal possession of a weapon and one count of reckless endangerment. He faced a minimum sentence of 3? years if convicted at a trial. His attorney, Benjamin Brafman, said in court that the 31-year-old Burress was thinking of his family in taking the plea, although he questioned the recommended prison sentence. "This was not an intentional criminal act," Brafman said. "In my judgment, a two-year prison sentence is a very severe punishment."

ESPN

Tags: New York Giants, Legal

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Stallworth Suspended For 2009 Season

Oct 31, 2014 2:19 PM

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell notified Donte' Stallworth of the Cleveland Browns on Thursday that he is suspended without pay for the 2009 season for violating both the NFL's policy on substances of abuse and the personal conduct policy. On June 16, Stallworth pled guilty to DUI/Manslaughter, a second degree felony in Florida, resulting from a March 14 incident in which he struck and killed a pedestrian while driving under the influence of alcohol. Stallworth will be reinstated after the Super Bowl in February 2010. He may not participate in any team activity during the 2009 season. Commissioner Goodell had suspended Stallworth indefinitely on June 18. On August 5, the Commissioner conducted a hearing and met in person with Stallworth, his representatives and NFLPA officials. He also met privately with Stallworth on August 10 at the player's request. Following are excerpts from Commissioner Goodell's letter to Stallworth: "As you recognized both at and following the hearing, guilt or innocence as a matter of criminal law is not the same as a violation of NFL policies. Here, longstanding league policies make clear that discipline is warranted "if a player is convicted of or admits to a violation of the law?relating to the use of alcohol." The degree of discipline may take into account "aggravating circumstances, including but not limited to felonious conduct or felonious injury or death of third parties?" All of those factors are present here. There is no question that your actions had tragic consequences to an innocent man and his family, and that you have violated both the Substances of Abuse and Personal Conduct Policies. In that respect, you are clearly guilty of conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the NFL." "Nor do I find that the outcome in the Florida courts is controlling in terms of determining disciplinary consequences within the NFL. The considerations that applied in Florida, particularly with respect to criminal standards of proof, claims of contributory negligence, consideration of crowded court dockets, and the like, do not enter into this decision. Without regard to the merits of the disposition of the criminal case, I believe that further consequences are necessary."

NFL.com

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Pierce: No Regrets For Helping Burress

Oct 31, 2014 6:37 AM

Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce says that he doesn't regret trying to help former teammate Plaxico Burress last fall. Pierce said he acted reasonably when he tried to help Burress after the wide receiver shot himself in the leg last November. "I am not sorry for how I acted that night. I am not sorry for how I responded," Pierce said. "I am sorry for putting myself in position that I had to respond the way I had to respond. There [are] a lot of lessons I learned from this. I take them to heart and I take them seriously, obviously. It has been a lot of ups and downs." After dropping Burress off at the hospital the night of the incident, Pierce drove back to New Jersey with the receiver's gun in his car.

ESPN

Tags: New York Giants, Legal

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Burress Indicted On Three Weapons Counts
Plaxico Burress will face a minimum sentence of 3 1/2 years in prison if convicted on criminal gun charges.

ESPN

Source: Pierce 'Optimistic' He'll Be Cleared
Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce is "cautiously optimistic" that he'll avoid felony gun possession charges.

ESPN