Acquitted

[CeltsSteve@xxxxxxx]

No surprise here on the verdict although it is odd that the one photo Pierce
was able to ID ends up being the one acquitted on all charges. Hurston then
says of Pierce "Paul's a good dude. He got us caught up in a situation we had
nothing to do with . . . He's a victim as much as us."  Don't you just feel
the love?



Three acquitted in Pierce stabbing case
Copyright ) 2002 AP Online

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By RON DePASQUALE, Associated Press


BOSTON (October 7, 2002 7:48 p.m. EDT) - Three men were acquitted Monday of
trying to kill Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce in a nightclub attack two
years ago. Two of the defendants were convicted on lesser charges.

William Ragland, 30, Trevor Watson, 35, and Anthony Hurston, 33, were found
innocent of armed assault with intent to murder in the Sept. 25, 2000, attack
in Boston's theater district.

Ragland was convicted of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a
knife), and assault and battery. Watson was found guilty of assault and
battery. Hurston was acquitted on all charges.

Pierce, not in court Monday, couldn't identify any of the three men when he
testified during the trial. He was stabbed eight times, hit in the head with
a bottle and had a collapsed lung, but managed to play in the 2000-01 NBA
season, which began a little more than a month after the attack. An All-Star
last season, Pierce averaged 26.1 points and helped Boston reach the Eastern
Conference finals for the first time in 14 years.

"I'm happy that this has come to an end," Pierce said in a statement. "It was
an unfortunate incident for all involved and I am looking forward to putting
it behind me and focusing my attention on the upcoming season."

Jurors deliberated over four days before returning the split verdict in a
trial marked by a change in testimony from two key prosecution witnesses.

Ragland faces up to 10 years in prison for the assault with a dangerous
weapon conviction and another 2 1/2 years for the assault and battery. Watson
faces 2 1/2 years in prison. Sentencing was scheduled for Friday morning.

Defense attorneys maintained that police rushed to charge the men because of
Pierce's celebrity. Prosecutors said police found the right men after
witnesses came forward.

"Paul's a good dude. He got us caught up in a situation we had nothing to do
with," Hurston said after the verdict was read. "He's a victim as much as
us."

Two women combined to identify Hurston, Ragland and Watson as Pierce's
attackers when they testified before a grand jury 10 days after the stabbing.
But both witnesses changed their stories after reluctantly taking the stand
during the trial. One woman fainted after the judge told her she could be
jailed for three months if she refused to testify.

Prosecutor John Pappas suggested that the women changed their testimony
because they were afraid of retaliation.

Two weeks after the attack, Pierce picked Hurston's photo out of a group,
saying he was the man who first attacked him. But on the witness stand,
Pierce said he wasn't sure anymore.

Copyright ) 2002 SportServer