Didn't see this one posted... Murphy heads to trial today Former Rocket faces charges of indecency, sexual assault Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle Former Houston Rockets star Calvin Murphy goes on trial today on sexual assault charges stemming from claims he molested five of his daughters when they were children. The trial of the Hall of Fame basketball player and former TV commentator is expected to last about two weeks. Murphy, 55, has denied any wrongdoing, blaming the allegations on a family dispute over money. Jury selection is expected to begin today before state District Judge Mike McSpadden. Murphy is charged with three counts of indecency with a child and three counts of aggravated sexual assault, each punishable by up to life in prison. Most of the incidents of sexual abuse are alleged to have occurred in Murphy's home while his now-grown daughters were in bed, Assistant District Attorney Lance Long said. In some cases, the girls were asleep and were awakened by the alleged assaults, Long said.
link? seriously....I really hope that the allegations are untrue...it would be devestating if a man who I have long respected actually did something this heinous.. best of luck Calvin...unless you are guilty..then ......ugh.
Associated Press HOUSTON -- Hall of Fame basketball player Calvin Murphy contends a dispute over money led five of his 10 daughters to accuse him of sexually abusing them more than a decade ago. Opening statements were set for Friday in the criminal case where prosecutors claim he abused the five daughters, now adults, between 1988 and 1991. Both Murphy's attorney, Rusty Hardin, and prosecutor Lance Long declined to comment on the case. Jury selection began Thursday. Murphy, 56, was a guard for the Houston Rockets from 1970 to 1983 and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. Following his arrest in March, Murphy tearfully declared he was innocent of the six charges -- three counts of indecency with a child and three of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Court records indicate three of the five daughters who allege Murphy abused them had been trying to claim $52,408 in death benefits left in a Teacher Retirement System of Texas account belonging to their mother, Phyllis Davidson. Davidson died in a car accident in January 1996. Her mother, Paralee Davidson, appealed to the retirement system when she learned Murphy was listed as the beneficiary on the account. Davidson's death certificate, issued on Feb. 21, 1996, listed Murphy as her surviving spouse. She named him as the primary beneficiary on the account in 1993 when she said he was her fiance. It is unclear, however, if the couple ever married, although Murphy signed a notarized document in April 1996 that he was Davidson's husband when she died and had three children with her. Paralee Davidson said she should have been listed as the account's beneficiary so she could provide for the children's education. She said her daughter and Murphy were not married. The three daughters protested Murphy receiving the benefits this year, days after he called the system asking what he needed to do to receive the money, according to court documents subpoenaed by Murphy's attorney. "My wife has been dead since 1996," Murphy said according to a record of the call. "Phyllis' parents have not wanted me to have these funds. We have never gotten along. At the time of my wife's death, I was not up to fighting with them." On Feb. 20, letters went out to Murphy, his three daughters and Paralee Davidson that Murphy was the account's rightful beneficiary. The money never was paid. A month later, Murphy, who has 14 children with nine different women, was arrested and charged with sexual abuse and indecency with the five daughters, including the three he had with Davidson. Prosecutors have dismissed the idea the charges stem from the money dispute. Long has said at least one of the five said she was as young as 6 when Murphy took her to a hotel room and performed oral sex on her. On another occasion, Long said, Murphy fondled one of the girls after she had moved in with him following her stepfather's death. Children's Protective Services spokeswoman Estella Olguin said the agency has removed two of Murphy's daughters, a 3-year-old and 4-year-old, from his home because of the allegations by his five adult daughters. The two girls are now staying with their respective biological mothers, she said. Murphy, an unlikely star because of his 5-foot-9 frame, averaged 17.9 points and shot 89.2 percent from the free-throw line in his pro career. He was drafted in the second round in 1970 by the San Diego Rockets, who moved to Houston the following season. He quickly became a fan favorite despite playing on several bad teams. His 17,949 points were a franchise high until Hakeem Olajuwon passed him. Murphy, known as the "Pocket Rocket" because of his small stature, missed only nine free throws -- and made 78 straight in one stretch -- in 1980-81 for a record single-season percentage of .958. If convicted, he faces five years to life in prison for the aggravated offenses and two to 20 years for the indecency violations. His trial is expected to last at least two weeks.
Reading some of the charges, I can't bring myself to believe that they are true. He'd have to be one sick mofo. By all accounts he had plenty of normal relationships.
Good luck to the prosecution trying to convince a jury that these charges are anything but retaliatory in nature.
That it was filed a month after the money decision does make it look retaliatory. But, that doesn't mean he isn't guilty anyway. Maybe they would have no pressed charges on a crime he really did commit if only he had given them the money. If that is the case, he's an idiot. We're talking about $56,000. Maybe he spent all his money from his playing days, but I bet his current annual salary is more than that. This case has already cost him much more dearly. I don't understand those who can't fathom that he could have done what he's accused of. Most child molesters won't be much different from other people. You can't tell one by looking at him. Anyway, from the Chron: http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/2885450 Do you get the feeling that the disqualified jurors were just willing to say whatever they had to to get out of jury duty? Btw, smart move by Hardin at the end of the article.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1917004 Murphy taught children to lie, prosecutor says Associated Press HOUSTON -- Hall of Fame basketball player Calvin Murphy's discipline on the court didn't extend to life off the court but that doesn't make him guilty of sexually abusing five of his 10 daughters, his lawyer said Friday. "This case is about resentment, it is about hatred and it is about revenge on a father," attorney Andy Drumheller said during opening statements in Murphy's sexual assault trial. "The facts are going to show you that unequivocally Mr. Murphy is not guilty." The allegations by his daughters stem from a dispute over money, his lawyers claim. Murphy faces three charges of indecency with a child and three charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Murphy, 56, was a guard for the Houston Rockets from 1970 to 1983 and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. His daughters, now adults, allege the abuse occurred between 1988 and 1991. Prosecutors say Murphy tried to maintain a public image of having only one family, even though he has 14 children with nine women. He only married one of them, according to prosecutors, and accepted her children. They said his children with the other women were told not to call him "Dad." "They were taught to lie out in public about their relationship with Calvin Murphy from the day they were born," Harris County assistant district attorney Lance Long told jurors. "Calvin Murphy had three women pregnant at the same time." Drumheller said three of the five daughters had been trying to claim $52,408 in death benefits left in a Teacher Retirement System of Texas account belonging to their mother, Phyllis Davidson. Murphy had a 20-year relationship and four children with Davidson, who died in a car accident in 1996. This year, the three daughters continued their grandmother's earlier protests over Murphy receiving the benefits. He was listed as the account's beneficiary, according to court records. On Feb. 20, letters went to Murphy, his three daughters and their grandmother that Murphy was the account's rightful beneficiary. The money never was paid. A month later, Murphy was arrested and charged with sexual abuse and indecency with the five daughters, including three with Davidson. Long dismissed the idea that the charges have anything to do with money. He says some of the daughters hadn't talked in years and didn't even know each other's phone numbers until an investigation was initiated by the Texas Rangers in mid-February. Murphy is broke and his children know it, Long said. "When they would stay at his house, the water would be cut off," Long said. "He even bounced the check for Phyllis Davidson's funeral. They knew they couldn't count on his money. They knew there was no money there." Long said at least one daughter said she was as young as 6 when Murphy took her to a hotel room and performed oral sex on her. On another occasion, Long said, Murphy fondled one of the girls after she had moved in with him following her stepfather's death. Drumheller said the allegations by the girl were checked out earlier by police, who could find no record of Murphy staying at the hotel. He said the five women making the allegations against Murphy have credibility problems, adding one previously lied under oath and falsely accused her ex-husband of sexually abusing their child. "These complaints are about money, resentment and revenge," Drumheller said, adding the only evidence prosecutors have is that Murphy had a "robust, active adult sexual life." Murphy was drafted in 1970 by the San Diego Rockets, who moved to Houston the following season. He quickly became a fan favorite. His 17,949 points were a franchise high until Hakeem Olajuwon passed him. Known as the "Pocket Rocket" because of his small stature, Murphy missed just nine free throws -- and made 78 straight in one stretch -- in 1980-81 for a record single-season percentage of .958. If convicted, he faces five years to life in prison for the aggravated offenses and two to 20 years for the indecency violations. His trial is expected to last at least two weeks. -- droxford
