he looks like Fuzzy Wuzzy but with kissable lips.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Attorney: Iverson will plead innocent
NBA star turns him in to police on assault, other charges
Posted: Tuesday July 16, 2002 7:18 AM
Updated: Tuesday July 16, 2002 5:13 PM
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Allen Iverson was arraigned Tuesday on charges that he stormed into a cousin's apartment with a gun and threatened two men while looking for his wife. He was released on $10,000 bond after 11 hours in custody.
Iverson, 27, appeared in a Philadelphia courtroom by way of closed-circuit TV as he sat in a detention block at city police headquarters. The star guard for the 76ers, whose jersey is the NBA's biggest seller, wore a white T-shirt and appeared haggard.
No plea was entered, although Iverson's lawyer told the court his client would plead innocent.
The charges against Iverson carry a maximum sentence of more than 50 years, although lawyers not involved in the case said he is unlikely to serve jail time even if convicted.
He appeared on screen for about three minutes and did not speak, except to answer "yes" to acknowledge his presence when called on by bail commissioner Abraham Polokoff.
Iverson was whisked away from police headquarters minutes after Polokoff ordered him released on unsecured bond pending a court appearance on Monday. He wasn't required to post any money, but would be liable for the cash if he failed to appear in court in the future.
The brief hearing came after a long day behind bars for Iverson, who surrendered at about 5:30 a.m. to face charges of assault, making threats and carrying a gun without a license.
Iverson's attorney, Richard Sprague, said during the hearing that his client is innocent.
"The plea Mr. Iverson [will enter] is a very strong and definite 'not guilty.' I want everybody to hear that loud and clear," he said.
Iverson left his $2.4 million home in suburban Philadelphia before dawn in a convoy of sport utility vehicles and a minivan. The tempestuous guard had been confined there since Thursday.
His arrest created a circus atmosphere outside headquarters. Hordes of reporters and photographers awaited the latest news, fans gathered to show support, children sold lemonade and an outlandish group of radio-station listeners chanted "Free A.I.! Free A.I.!" through a bullhorn.
While Iverson was not available for comment, his mother, Ann, took the occasion to defend her famous son.
"You've got a liar, you've got a cheat and you've got somebody who's stealing," she told a media horde camped outside Iverson's Gladwyne, Pa., home, referring to the man who accused her son. "It's all going to come out."
She arrived at the home about 11:30 p.m. Monday with videotapes of popular comedies, including Eddie Murphy's Delirious and various Richard Pryor movies. She said she wanted to make her son laugh.
"He knows he's got to do what he's got to do," she said. "I'm going to stick by my son because I know the man he is. I tell him don't worry about it, everything happens for a reason.
"Ain't nothing crazy about him. Ain't nothing deranged about him. He's got a good heart. He's a good man."
Iverson was fingerprinted and photographed, and took his place in a long line to appear before the bail commissioner. Police said he was separated from other prisoners, but would not get any special attention.
"He's known nationally. He's known globally. So obviously there is a safety factor if you put him in a room with another prisoner," said William Colarulo, a police inspector.
Sprague, who has represented F. Lee Bailey and was chief counsel for the House committee that investigated the assassinations of President Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King, declined to talk about Iverson's case.
Iverson's uncle Gregory Iverson also turned himself in at dawn to face charges that he accompanied Iverson the night of the alleged assault. His attorney, Guy R. Sciolla, said he intends to plead innocent.
Iverson is accused of throwing his wife, Tawanna, out of the mansion during a fight earlier this month, then barging into his cousin's apartment with a gun the next night and threatening Charles Jones, 21, and Hakim Carey, who is 17.
As a teenager, Iverson was arrested in Virginia in 1993 after a brawl and spent four months in jail before he was granted clemency by the governor. The conviction was later overturned. In 1997, Iverson pleaded no contest to gun possession.
Iverson has squabbled several times with 76ers coach Larry Brown and made an unreleased rap CD in which he used derogatory terms for women and gays.
Through it all, Iverson remains enormously popular. His 76ers jersey is the league's top seller, and Reebok last year gave Iverson a lifetime extension of his 10-year, $50 million endorsement contract.
Charges against Allen Iverson
Criminal trespass
(felony, two counts)
Criminal conspiracy
(felony, one count)
Violation of the Uniform Firearms Act
(felony, one count)
Violation of the Uniform Firearms Act
(misdemeanor, one count)
Simple assault
(misdemeanor, two counts)
Terroristic threats
(misdemeanor, two counts)
Unlawful restraint
(misdemeanor, two counts)
False imprisonment
(misdemeanor, two counts)
Poss. of an instrument of crime
(misdemeanor, one count)