Charles Oakley passed on a plea deal today, which means that he will go to trial to fight charges stemming from his February 8 ejection from Madison Square Garden. We all remember the wild videos, as watching the former New York Knick lose his shit might have been my favorite moment from the past NBA season.
Judge Joanne Watters has set the trial date for August 4, and I think anybody with a brain or a soul is pulling for Oakley. In addition to turning one of the most prestigious basketball franchises in the NBA into a laughingstock, James Dolan is also a world-class assclown. A normal owner would have tried to brush an incident like this under the rug, but with Dolan calling the shots, Oakley’s ejection has turned into a whole ordeal.
Here’s ESPN with more details on the trial.
Oakley was arrested after a run-in with Madison Square Garden security on Feb. 8 and charged with two misdemeanors of assault, two misdemeanors of harassment and one misdemeanor of trespassing.
Assistant District Attorney Ryan Lipes on Friday offered Oakley an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal — an agreement that would lead to charges being dropped if Oakley stays out of trouble for a set time and complies with an unspecified order of protection. Oakley, through attorney Alex Spiro, rejected that offer and requested a trial.
Watters granted Spiro’s subpoena requests for documents at Madison Square Garden. Spiro also stated in court that he has a list of witnesses that he would like to call on during trial, but he did not specify which witnesses he would use.
Madison Square Garden declined comment on the matter.
Fight the power, Oak!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PaoLy7PHwk
