Joey Porter News

Battery charge hearing for Dolphins' Porter pushed back

By Harvey Fialkov
Sun-Sentinel.com
Posted May 14 2007, 7:51 PM EDT

 

A hearing for Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter on a misdemeanor battery charge for his role in a fight last March in a Las Vegas casino has been continued until May 30, according to a member of the Las Vegas District Attorney office. Attorney Karen Winckler, who represented Porter at the hearing, asked and received a continuation for a misdemeanor arraignment from Judge William Jansen, according to D.A. assistant Kathy Karstadt.   The police report stated that Porter and several acquaintances allegedly assaulted Bengals tackle Levi Jones at a gaming table at the Palms Casino on March 18. There is a video of the altercation, but it hasn't been released. Porter has since issued an apology to Jones during an ESPN interview. "A continuation was asked for to most likely negotiate the charge,'' said Las Vegas Township court information officer Michael Sommermeyer. "We had a similar misdemeanor battery case recently in which an HBO CEO paid $1,000 and had the case adjudicated. He just has to stay out of trouble for six months.'' Porter, who has been involved in a string of bizarre incidents on and off the field, said recently that he was embarrassed because he was in Las Vegas for his mother's birthday party on the night of the brawl. If convicted, Porter faces a maximum sentence of six months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine for his alleged attack of Jones, who has categorized Porter's actions as, "cowardly.'' Also, if convicted, Porter faces a potential fine or suspension from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who has instituted a stricter code of conduct for the players to follow. The Dolphins are scheduled to host the Bengals in the regular-season finale on Dec. 30.

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