Judge throws out Iverson charges

[Fiyah]

Associated Press


PHILADELPHIA -- NBA All-Star Allen Iverson was cleared of all but a misdemeanor Monday at a hearing into charges he stormed into his cousin's apartment with a gun and threatened two men while looking for his wife.

Two counts of making terroristic threats were left standing after the six-hour preliminary hearing to determine whether prosecutors had enough evidence to try Iverson.

``It sounds like you had a relative looking for a relative at the house of a relative,'' Municipal Court Judge James DeLeon said.

The ruling followed testimony from Iverson's two accusers and his cousin Shaun Bowman.

Iverson, the NBA MVP in the 2000-01 season and a three-time league scoring champion, was accused of throwing his wife, Tawanna, out of their home, then barging into Bowman's apartment July 3.

The Philadelphia 76ers guard was arrested on 14 felony and misdemeanor charges, including assault, terroristic threats and weapons offenses. Iverson's uncle also was charged and he, too, now faces only the misdemeanor.

The original charges against Iverson carried a maximum sentence of more than 50 years.

He was the subject of intense local media scrutiny after the allegations surfaced. Hordes of reporters and photographers camped outside Iverson's suburban mansion in the days before he turned himself in July 16 to face the charges.

It's not Iverson's first brush with the law.

As a teenager in 1993, he was arrested after a bowling-alley brawl and spent four months in jail in Virginia before he was granted clemency by the governor. The conviction was later overturned.

In 1997, Iverson pleaded no contest to gun possession.

He also made an unreleased rap CD in which he used derogatory terms for women and gays, and he's fought several times with 76ers coach Larry Brown.

Through it all, Iverson remains enormously popular.

His 76ers jersey is the among the league's top sellers, and Reebok last year gave Iverson a lifetime extension of his 10-year, $50 million endorsement contract.

 

[THAMES]

Fiyah,

This news shouldn't surprise anyone. The cops probably over reacted anyway when 10 of them showed, searched the mansion and took the Benz. Having money doesn't hurt him either.

Not to excuse the behavior, but I'm beginning to believe that if you take this behavior away from him he would no longer me Allen Iverson. In other words, all of the things that have happened to him, makes him who he is. Take them away and he wouldn't be the player he is. As long as they are willing to pay for their mistakes, I have no problem with these type of athletes.

Any thoughts?

 

[Sonic98]

I knew it was going to go this way. I guess they will try to make an example out of someone else.