Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Brizzi Shows No Favoritism For Pacer Players

Marion Co. Prosecutor Carl Brizzi's decision to prosecute charges against two Pacer players in connection with a recent westside bar fight shows he's not cutting any slack for professional athletes in this town who can't seem to behave themselves. Jamaal Tinsley has been charged with a Class D felony for intimidation and three lesser misdemeanors, and Marquis Daniels faces misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct charges. The Star's Jon Murray reports:

A Marion County grand jury has indicted Indiana Pacers Jamaal Tinsley and Marquis Daniels in a Feb. 6 fight at an Indianapolis bar after a game.

Tinsley was charged this afternoon with intimidation, a Class D felony, and three misdemeanors -- battery, disorderly conduct and intimidation. Daniels was charged with battery and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors.

In the incident, Tinsley and Daniels were accused of assaulting the manager of 8 Seconds Saloon, 111 N. Lynhurst Drive, at 2:15 a.m.

"There were very forceful threats made by Mr. Tinsley," Prosecutor Carl Brizzi said late this afternoon. One included Tinsley saying "I will kill you" to the bar's staff, according to the grand jury indictment, and that threat elevated the first intimidation charge to a felony . . .

The trouble began when several bar employees, including manager Mark Nicholson, 42, attempted to subdue a person who was trying to steal patrons' coats, according to the police report. The club does not have video of the incident.

During that scuffle, members of the Pacers' group "began to yell obscenities towards staff members," Nicholson told police.

The manager "stated that he approached Jamaal Tinsley, who he knows through sporting events and personally (from) prior meetings inside the business, that the incident did not involve him, or the others in his party," according to the report.

The grand jury took over the investigation because it has the authority to compel witnesses to talk.

After an unrelated brawl outside Club Rio last October involving several Pacer players, Brizzi pursued felony charges against then-Pacer player Stephen Jackson.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"Marion Co. Prosecutor Carl Brizzi's decision to prosecute charges against two Pacer players in connection with a recent westside bar fight shows he's not cutting any slack for professional athletes in this town who can't seem to behave themselves..."

Won't the court/jury decide whether these two athletes did or did not behave themselves with regards to the incident? There is a presumption of innocence, last I checked. As an attorney, AI, do you presume your clients to be guilty or do you defend their presumption of innocence?