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Taylor Is Charged With a Felony

Safety Faces 3-Year Minimum Sentence

By Nunyo Demasio

Washington Post Staff Writer

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/24/AR2005062400535_pf.html

MIAMI, June 24 -- Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor was formally charged Friday with one felony count of aggravated assault with a firearm and one misdemeanor count of simple battery for his role in a June 1 confrontation in a Miami neighborhood. The charges were announced by the Miami-Dade state attorney's office during Taylor's arraignment.

Taylor, 22, pleaded not guilty through a written document filed in advance by defense attorney Edward Carhart. Neither the 6-foot-2, 231-pound Taylor nor Carhart appeared at the arraignment, held at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building.

The charges stem from an incident in which police say Taylor pointed a gun at two men as he sought the return of two all-terrain vehicles he said had been stolen from him.

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mary Barzee set a tentative trial date for Sept. 12, one day after the Redskins' season opener against the Chicago Bears at FedEx Field. But because of continuances -- adjournments of a court case to future dates for various procedural reasons -- Taylor's trial likely will be postponed until after the season, which ends in January.

"I can't comment on the strength or the weakness of the case," assistant state attorney Mike Grieco told reporters outside the courtroom shortly after the arraignment. "The reason for filing was that we had a good-faith basis to go forward."

Grieco added: "I've met with all the witnesses, weighed all the evidence. In fact, I met with Mr. Taylor himself at one point."

Under Florida's stringent gun laws, Grieco said that Taylor faces a mandatory minimum sentence of three years in prison. A preliminary court date was set for July 12, when Taylor will be given an opportunity to accept a sentence of three years, Grieco said. Taylor and Carhart are required to be present at that session. Taylor faces a maximum sentence of 16 years, if convicted.

Grieco added that the charges also could change during the trial.

About 40 people, including a few handcuffed defendants at the jurors' seats, were packed into the tiny courtroom. Most were present for arraignments unrelated to Taylor's. About a dozen journalists attended because of Taylor, who starred at the University of Miami, where he majored in criminology, and nearby Gulliver Prep High before the Redskins selected him as their No. 1 draft pick in 2004.

Carhart said he spoke with Taylor by telephone after the arraignment. "He just took it all in," Carhart said in a telephone interview. "He didn't scream, holler or weep. He didn't say much."

Grieco read the charges in Taylor's arraignment, which lasted only about two minutes. Although Taylor was originally arrested on two felony counts, the state attorney consolidated them into one count after discovering another victim during the pre-arraignment investigation.

"We actually encountered and added a third victim, so he's only charged with one count, but it's for three victims," Grieco said.

Because of Taylor's legal issues, the Redskins excused him from minicamp last week. Recently, Coach Joe Gibbs said that Taylor is expected for training camp, which will start July 31 at Redskins Park.

Team spokesman Patrick Wixted said Friday that the Redskins would have no additional comment regarding the case going to trial. Taylor signed a seven-year, $18 million contract after he was drafted.

Taylor hasn't granted a media interview since October. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, didn't return a voice mail seeking comment.

Taylor, accompanied by Carhart, gave a voluntary statement to the state attorney's office Wednesday during an approximately one-hour interview in hopes that the charges would be dropped. According to officials familiar with the case who requested anonymity, Taylor also submitted a passed lie-detector test, which was conducted by a private polygraphist. Polygraph results are not admissible in court.

Taylor has acknowledged being involved in the June 1 incident, but he disputes police reports that he possessed a gun and that his friend wielded a bat.

Taylor's co-defendant, Charles Elwood Caughman, 19, of Baltimore, was charged at his arraignment Thursday with one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

According to the police report, Taylor drove his blue 2005 Yukon Denali sport utility vehicle with Caughman into West Perrine, a high-crime neighborhood just south of downtown Miami. Several friends trailed in another car. Taylor believed that two men from the area had stolen his two ATVs, each worth roughly $7,000.

Police said Taylor got out of the car after spotting the men in front of one of their homes and pointed a handgun while demanding his ATVs. No shots were fired, police said. Taylor returned 10 minutes later with more friends, police said. This time, Taylor got out of the car and hit one of the individuals, Ryan Hill, 21, with his fist while Caughman chased another person with a bat, the police report said. After a tussle, Taylor and his group again left the scene, police said.

They went to a home owned by the mother of one of Taylor's friends, where Taylor had been parking his ATVs. A few minutes later, several shots were fired into the home and at the two cars -- including Taylor's Denali -- parked outside, according to people involved in the case who requested anonymity because a police report on this incident hasn't been filed. No one was hurt. Police retrieved shell casings from at least two different weapons, but no arrests have been made. Police consider the shooting a separate investigation.

Carhart said the shooting would be a key part of Taylor's defense.

"They are just blowing smoke when they say that they are still investigating the other case," Carhart said. "I am confident the state attorney's office hasn't seen all the witnesses or examined all the evidence.

"There's every reason to believe the people who claim to be victims are the actual perpetrators of serious crimes. And the state had to choose one side or the other. Hopefully, [the decision] is not because of Sean Taylor's high profile."

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"They are just blowing smoke when they say that they are still investigating the other case," Carhart said. "I am confident the state attorney's office hasn't seen all the witnesses or examined all the evidence.

"There's every reason to believe the people who claim to be victims are the actual perpetrators of serious crimes. And the state had to choose one side or the other. Hopefully, [the decision] is not because of Sean Taylor's high profile."

my thoughts exactly. what taylor did was wrong but i really think that the DA is just trying to make some kind of example out of him or something. funny how they are more worried about taylor punching a guy than they are about people firing shots at a house.

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Originally posted by Wicked99

my thoughts exactly. what taylor did was wrong but i really think that the DA is just trying to make some kind of example out of him or something. funny how they are more worried about taylor punching a guy than they are about people firing shots at a house.

Ding.

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Although Taylor was originally arrested on two felony counts, the state attorney consolidated them into one count after discovering another victim during the pre-arraignment investigation.

"We actually encountered and added a third victim, so he's only charged with one count, but it's for three victims," Grieco said.

I don't understand this if there were two victims and two counts originally why would finding a third victim reduce the felony amount to one instead of increasing it to 3??

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How is it possible that a police report on the shots being fired is not even filed yet but, Taylor has been arraigned?

Both incidents happened the same evening. Something smells fishy about this sort of police work and the actions of the DA.

Taylor will walk on this one. A good lawyer will get him out of this no problem. He said she said on whether he had the gun and the witnesses against him are thugs. Probably the same thugs who did fire weapons into a home and car.

Taylor is one lucky SOB.

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He still seems to be getting into trouble when he should now pay more attention to what he is doing. I wanted this guy drafted as much as anybody but I am starting to really dislike him as a person. My son wont even wear his jersey anymore.

I'm gonna get him a D. Green jersey.

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Originally posted by Wicked99

my thoughts exactly. what taylor did was wrong but i really think that the DA is just trying to make some kind of example out of him or something. funny how they are more worried about taylor punching a guy than they are about people firing shots at a house.

I hate to say it but most of the DAs only think about their future and the kind of coverage they can get from these cases. I mean just reading this **** what did Taylor do? Nothin IMO. So he pointed a gun according to some guys that actually might be thieves. That is just great by the DA to take their word over Taylor's. This case stinks to high heaven.

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Originally posted by Skin-N-NY

He still seems to be getting into trouble when he should now pay more attention to what he is doing. I wanted this guy drafted as much as anybody but I am starting to really dislike him as a person. My son wont even wear his jersey anymore.

I'm gonna get him a D. Green jersey.

What size and number on that jersey Skin-N-NY? I might be able to make your son a pretty sweet deal! :cool:

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Originally posted by Skin-N-NY

He still seems to be getting into trouble when he should now pay more attention to what he is doing. I wanted this guy drafted as much as anybody but I am starting to really dislike him as a person. My son wont even wear his jersey anymore.

I'm gonna get him a D. Green jersey.

DING!

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Once again....how stupid do you have to be to put yourself in any kind of position like this.....I don't care if he had a gun or not....if you think someone stole you atv's and you know where they are....call the police....and don't give me this ohh they won't do anything anyway.....well if the police don't do anything you have done all you can do...suck it up and go buy you some more atv's and keep these locked up a little better.....and then you can enjoy a nice NFL carreer and keep making bucket fulls of money..

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Bottom line pulling a gun, chasing suspected thieves, bringing your posse to track down your stolen ATV's is not the way this country works. If you want to operate by those rules you are at risk. Whether or not the DA is going after Taylor, if he was never there then there would be nothing to go after. Do not put your future into the hands of someone else when you have the ability to control it simply yourself.

As folks have said, call the police, let your business manager file an insurance claim and go get some more bigger and better ATV's and hire some security. Playing don't mess with me with a bunch of thieves is a good way to get your butt killed (or in jail).

He is lucky he is in court rather than the victim of a drive by shooting.

BTW, I absolutely do not agree that seeking out and point a gun at a suspected thief is legal or the right thing to do. Just because you think this person stole something does not make it correct to hunt them down and threaten them. They may go to jail for theft you will likely go to jail for assault. Does not matter if who the police believe, they can believe both sides if they want, you will still go to jail if, in the end, you really did threaten them with a gun.

The simple rule is when you find yourself in a situation that should be on the show COPS, back away slowly and get out of that situation.

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Wow. A few things really jump out at me in this article. The first thing is this:

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mary Barzee set a tentative trial date for Sept. 12, one day after the Redskins' season opener against the Chicago Bears at FedEx Field. But because of continuances -- adjournments of a court case to future dates for various procedural reasons -- Taylor's trial likely will be postponed until after the season, which ends in January.

That means that Taylor is playing this season guilty or not. That's very good news.

The second thing that jumped out at me is this:

"I can't comment on the strength or the weakness of the case," assistant state attorney Mike Grieco told reporters outside the courtroom shortly after the arraignment. "The reason for filing was that we had a good-faith basis to go forward."

A good faith basis to go forward? Good faith from who? The thugs that stole Taylor's ATVs and shot his car? I've never heard this kind of statement from a DA. When talking about whether or not to charge someone, the opening line is almost always, "based on the evidence...".

Another interesting part of the DA's statement is this:

Grieco added that the charges also could change during the trial.

Is it just me, or is Greico leaving himslef a nice back door out with this statement?

The next interesting point of the article was this:

Although Taylor was originally arrested on two felony counts, the state attorney consolidated them into one count after discovering another victim during the pre-arraignment investigation..

"We actually encountered and added a third victim, so he's only charged with one count, but it's for three victims," Grieco said..

WTF? When there were thought to be 2 victims there were 2 counts, but now that here are 3 victims there is only 1 count? I don't know what conclusions can be drawn from this, but it doesn't make a lot of sense.

Then there's this:

They went to a home owned by the mother of one of Taylor's friends, where Taylor had been parking his ATVs. A few minutes later, several shots were fired into the home and at the two cars -- including Taylor's Denali -- parked outside, according to people involved in the case who requested anonymity because a police report on this incident hasn't been filed. No one was hurt. Police retrieved shell casings from at least two different weapons, but no arrests have been made. Police consider the shooting a separate investigation.

So they're going to prosecute Taylor for pointing a gun when no shots were fired, the gun has not been identified, and Taylor has passed a lie detector test stating he didn't have a gun, but they are "still investigating" shots that were actually fired? If they retrieved shell casings from at least 2 weapons, they should have plenty of evidence to prosecute the "victims" under Floridas tough gun laws. It sounds like Taylor's lawyer got it right when he said this:

"They are just blowing smoke when they say that they are still investigating the other case," Carhart said. "I am confident the state attorney's office hasn't seen all the witnesses or examined all the evidence.

"There's every reason to believe the people who claim to be victims are the actual perpetrators of serious crimes. And the state had to choose one side or the other. Hopefully, [the decision] is not because of Sean Taylor's high profile."

This case is becoming bizarre. As the facts keep changing, it's becoming more and more obvious that the DA jumped on the chance for some publicity here. After reading this, I'm even more confident that Taylor won't get convicted on the felony. I seriously doubt he'll even get prosecuted, other than for the misdemeanor.

The best thing now is for Sean to lay low, work out as much as possible, and come into camp in great shape. Let this whole thing die down, and the truth will come out eventually.

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Originally posted by gstahl

He is lucky he is in court rather than the victim of a drive by shooting.

Actually, I'm thinking he's lucky he didn't get his arse shot, standing in the "thieves" front yard with a gun in his hand.

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Originally posted by bubba9497

Taylor Is Charged With a Felony

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mary Barzee set a tentative trial date for Sept. 12, one day after the Redskins' season opener against the Chicago Bears at FedEx Field. But because of continuances -- adjournments of a court case to future dates for various procedural reasons -- Taylor's trial likely will be postponed until after the season, which ends in January.

Well at least that's good news...assuming the worst and he is convicted, we'll have him for one more season!

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Originally posted by Skin-N-NY

He still seems to be getting into trouble when he should now pay more attention to what he is doing. I wanted this guy drafted as much as anybody but I am starting to really dislike him as a person. My son wont even wear his jersey anymore.

I'm gonna get him a D. Green jersey.

I might want it....I plan on having kids some day and it would be nice to have a hall-of-famer jersey for them to wear!! ;)

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