Jury Selected For Trial Of Former Orlando Magic TV Analyst
Posted: 7:02 am EDT September 6, 2005Updated: 4:21 pm EDT September 6, 2005
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The trial is underway for former Orlando Magic TV analyst Jack Givens. He is accused molesting a teenage girl after a private basketball lesson at her home. The jury has now been seated, but opening statements have yet to begin. Still, we're already getting a glimpse into what each side will be saying and there are two very different accounts of what happened.
With a hug from his own teenage daughter, Givens began the process of fighting the charges against him. Last year, a 14-year-old girl said he molested her in a swimming pool and her bedroom after he gave her a private basketball lesson at her home."It is our position that what this is is a sexual fantasy. It is a false fabricated fantasy allegation. It is not true in any sense of the word," said defense attorney Michael Snure.Detectives said Givens admitted being in the pool and in the bedroom. But defense attorneys will argue that the girl made-up the sexual allegations and that she could have caused her own internal physical injury during phone sex with her boyfriend. The defense is also claiming the girl told people she might be bi-polar, but prosecutors said there's no evidence of that."What we have is an effort to humiliate or embarrass a young girl based on the opinions of the defendant's friends," said prosecutor Linda Drane-Burdick.Defense attorneys did not indicate how they plan to explain why Givens was giving a free private lesson to a girl who was on a team that competed with the one he coached. They said the victim was upset with Givens because she wanted to play on his team."There's a threat if a young person could get Mr. Givens in trouble at some point, she would. There's a representation that she doesn't like him," said Snure.But prosecutors have taped phone conversations and computer messages between Givens and the victim that suggest they at least had a friendship and even refer to the incident. Givens declined requests for comment Tuesday, but in an interview after his arrest he said this to his fans: "I feel like I should be apologizing to people for something, I just don't know what to apologize for."The courtroom comments Tuesday came from motions the attorneys made to the judge, so the jury hasn't heard any of that yet. Opening statements will begin Wednesday.
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