Patterson enters Alford plea SEATTLE (AP) -- Seattle SuperSonics forward Ruben Patterson will enter a modified guilty plea to an attempted rape charge, his lawyer said Monday night. Patterson plans to enter an Alford plea in King County Superior Court on Friday to a charge of attempted third-degree rape, attorney John Wolfe said. Prosecutors were expected to file the actual charge Tuesday. Under an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt, but agrees there may be sufficient evidence for a jury to convict him. "Ruben Patterson denies that he engaged in any criminal conduct," Wolfe said. "Nonetheless, he acknowledges that he committed an act of marital infidelity, for which he accepts full responsibility. He would like to apologize to his wife, his teammates and the team, and the complaining witness in this case, for the difficulties each has experienced as a result of his actions. "However, despite his claim of innocence, he has decided that in order to avoid any significant financial and emotional cost associated with a trial on the merits, and to bring closure to this incident, that he will enter this Alford plea." The maximum sentence for attempted third-degree rape, a gross misdemeanor, is a year in jail. Patterson was the SuperSonics' third-highest scorer with 13.1 points per game this season. He will be a restricted free agent this summer. A nanny who cares for the Pattersons' three children went into a child's bedroom and saw Patterson standing there naked last Sept. 25, according to a Bellevue police report cited by KING-TV. He grabbed her and she had difficulty fighting back because of his size and strength, the Sept. 30 report said. She allegedly got away after performing a sex act on Patterson. Patterson's wife was not home at the time. Bellevue police spokeswoman Marcia Harnden said Monday night she could confirm police took a report regarding a rape complaint from Patterson's address. No one from the King County prosecutor's office was immediately available to comment Monday. Patterson has an unlisted home number. Phone messages left with Sonics general manager Wally Walker and a team spokesman were not returned. In February, Patterson, 25, was suspended by the NBA for three games because of his conviction on an assault charge for breaking a man's jaw in Cleveland, his hometown. Patterson pleaded guilty in late January to a misdemeanor assault charge and was placed on probation. ---------------- I'm guessing that this might affect Patterson's FA bid this summer... unless he ends up as a jailblazer w/ Payton. ------------------ women love me, fish fear me.
You got that right. What the hell got into that guy!? He was on the verge of getting millions dollars on top of the millions he was getting now, and he does something sick and twisted like this? Stupid. ------------------ See the three, be the three.
He will still get paid as long as he can put a ball in a basket. This situation has just tarnished his reputation...that's all. ------------------
I read a couple stories on this, this morning. Just remember there are always 3 sides to every story. There's her story, his story, and then there's the real story. For all I know he could have tried to rape that girl, however I'm sure most of you realize that not all women tell the truth when they are trying to get money out of an athlete. Or just a woman trying to get back at a man. In today's society all a woman has to do is say the word rape, and the courts automatically believe her without giving a thought to the man's side. He admitted that there was consentual sex between the two but that he never tried to rape her, she claims he did. Since some type of sex act did take place there would obviously be "DNA" so he has no way to defend himself (i.e. Bill Clinton). It's basically her word against his. The courts will automatically believe her. So that leaves him with 2 choices, plea innocent, and go on trial where the jury will more than likely find him guilty of rape in which case he would serve considerable prison time. Or the Alford plea which is not a guilty plea but similar to a no-contest plea since the evidence at hand (DNA) could result in him being convicted of rape. I guess I'm just saying that I refuse to judge this man because I don't know all the facts. Don't get me wrong I'm not say that what he did was right in any way because even if it was consentual the fact remains that the man is still married, and he cheated on his wife, and family. If he had just kept it zipped up none of this would have ever happen. ------------------ http://www.rapmusic.com/texasg/NewMavsLogo1.jpg
Hopefully that "sex act" was a swift kick to the nuts. ------------------ My dream job is to be a Houston Rockets towel boy.
