It looks like European pro basketball player Michael Haynes won't even be needing help from a New York criminal defense attorney, since prosecutors have declined to officially file charges against the man.
The New York Post reports that Michael Haynes, who played power forward for Ludwigsburg in Germany, was involved in a sex scandal last week in which he was accused of holding a woman down while his friend Brandyn Cooper sexually abused her during an incident at the Ritz-Carlton. The two men used to play basketball together on Fordham University's 2004 basketball team. They were reportedly at the Ritz-Carlton hotel for the Nike World Basketball Festival at Madison Square Garden.
Yet the basketball player has now been entirely cleared of the allegations. Jennifer Gaffney, the assistant district attorney in Manhattan, said that prosecutors would not be able to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.
Nike executive Brandyn Cooper, on the other hand, is not getting off quite so easy. He has been charged with a felony of non-consensual oral sexual contact. However, New York Post reports that the executive has been charged with the lowest level felony and that he was released without posting any bail money.
Brandyn Cooper now has New York criminal defense attorney Michael Kalmus representing him in his case. The lawyer has denied the sexual abuse allegations and says that his client was not involved in the incident. Michael Kalmus and his client will report back to the Manhattan court on November 30 for a hearing.
Related Resources:
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Sexual Assault - Criminal Law (FindLaw)
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Sexual Assault Penalties in New York State (FindLaw's Answers)
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