Pleading not guilty to felony charges: Miami Dolphins’ linebacker Koa Misi must prove his innocence
Miami Dolphins’ linebacker, Koa Misi, is going to formally defend himself against three respective felony charges and prove his innocence before the court of law after he entered a not guilty plea in a court in Santa Barbara, California, on Friday, April
20, 2012.
Misi is charged under three separate counts of felony, residential burglary, battery with serious injury and dissuading a witness.
He has denied all those charges and after a formal indictment, has pleaded not guilty before the court.
This sets the case for a regular hearing from now on, where the player has to prove his innocence or otherwise face possibility of multiple punishments if found guilty.
So far, no information is available around the possible penalty he faces over the charges or whether there is some leniency or concession in the law for a lesser than stipulated amount of punishment under the relevant clauses covering felony incidents.
The player is accused of punching a man in the face, dissuading a witness and damaging a door of an apartment. The incident reportedly occurred in Isla Vista, near Santa Barbara, California.
Misi, who was present in the court on Friday, will appear before the court for the formal hearing of the case within the next couple of months. None of the reports detailing out Friday’s proceedings has pinpointed exact date of the next hearing.
The player, in the meantime, has also been arraigned and posted a $10,000 bond on him.
Both, the player and his lawyers, avoided talking to mediamen present outside the court this past Friday.
A couple of journalists asked specifically if there was an opportunity of entering into an agreement with prosecutors as a bargain in the form of a waiver of some charges, most probably serious charges, if the player pleads guilty to lesser counts. They
did not answer.
Normally, prosecutors and the accused reach an agreement on the willingness of the latter accepting less serious charges, while prosecutors, as an outcome of such a deal, drop other/serious charges.
So far, nothing is reported or speculated around the possibility.
Tags: