Payton, Cassell, Caffey charged with assault

[MFFL]

Saturday, April 19
Updated: April 20, 1:20 PM ET
Payton, Cassell, Caffey charged with assault

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Associated Press

TORONTO -- Hours after losing an NBA playoff game in New Jersey, Gary Payton, Sam Cassell and Jason Caffey of the Milwaukee Bucks surrendered to police in Toronto and were charged with assault for a fight earlier this month outside a strip club.

The three players, along with their lawyers, flew to Canada, surrendered at 6:30 p.m. and spent a couple hours at a police station. All three signed affidavits which allowed them to be released on their own recognizance. They are to appear in court May 30.

Payton, 35, is charged with three counts of simple assault -- equivalent to a misdemeanor -- while Cassell, 33, is charged with two counts and Caffey, 29, faces one count.

The altercation happened in the early hours of Friday morning, April 11, while the Bucks were in Toronto to play the Raptors.

Police Sgt. Jim Muscat said trouble began when one of the players got into an argument with one of two women associated with the club. The situation escalated when the woman's boyfriend became involved, and the other two players, who had been waiting in a cab, left the vehicle.

From there, the club's doorman also joined the altercation. Muscat would not be more specific, saying other details will emerge in court.

Bucks spokeswoman Cheri Hanson confirmed that the three players went to Toronto to cooperate with authorities. She said all three would attend practice Sunday.

The timing couldn't be worse for the underdog Bucks, who face an off-court distraction in a series they already trail following their 109-96 loss to the Nets.

Payton was held scoreless through the first 3½ quarters of Milwaukee's loss, while Cassell scored 16. Caffey did not play.

[MavsFanFinley]

...bump...update...

Charges stem from fight outside Toronto bar

Associated Press

TORONTO -- Police have upgraded an assault charge against former Milwaukee Bucks teammates Gary Payton, Sam Cassell and Jason Caffey stemming from a fight, a prosecutor and the men's lawyer said Friday.

Payton, Cassell and Caffey are charged in connection with an altercation outside a bar April 11. They were charged with common assault, but police upgraded it to assault causing bodily harm, prosecutor Calvin Barry said.

Barry said further investigation found that one of the participants in the altercation was injured.

Payton is now with the Los Angeles Lakers and Cassell with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

They are accused of assaulting two men and two women outside a club after closing time while the Bucks were in Toronto to play the Raptors.

According to Edward Greenspan, the players' lawyer, prosecutors have indicated they will proceed with summary charges in the case, rather than more serious indictable charges.

"One of the people who made the allegation of assault at the time said that he suffered no injuries, but has now got some medical evidence that we have not seen that he did suffer some medical injury," Greenspan said, adding he believed the injury was whiplash. "There's no suggestion of serious bodily harm."

He noted that police file charges in Canada that prosecutors later review, a different system than in the United States, where prosecutors file charges as a legal decision.

"The reality is that what happened today is what the police did all on their own, which the prosecutor several months down the road will review," Greenspan said.

The maximum sentences for summary charges are 18 months for assault causing bodily harm and six months for common assault, Greenspan said.

Under the revised charges, Payton now faces two counts of common assault and one count of assault causing bodily harm, while Cassell faces one of each and Caffey a lone count of assault causing bodily harm.

[mavsfanforever]

Lakers are in trouble this year.

Thats two of their starters in trouble (Kobe and GP), Rick fox is injured, Shaq's health is still a ?.

[Mavs_Rule2003]

Yeah suddenly i think they should build up a rehab center in their staples center to treat those fellas!!