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January 9, 2008
Posted: 06:25 PM ET

NEW YORK — Former New Jersey Net Jayson Williams’ four corners defense is paying off once again! The former NBA star, whose trial and re-trial have been delayed by bottomless litigation, is one step closer to never serving one day in prison for shooting an innocent man to death.

ALT TEXT

Vinnie Politan

Williams was tried in the spring of 2004 for the shooting of a limo driver at his New Jersey estate. He was acquitted of the top charge of aggravated manslaughter and convicted of four lesser charges related to covering up the shooting. The jury deadlocked on a reckless manslaughter charge, but the retrial has been delayed several times.

Now the prosecution team is literally breaking into pieces. Steven Lember, the lead prosecutor in the first trial, had a falling out with his boss and left the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office in August. Assistant Prosecutor Katharine Errickson took over, but now she is off the case. Errickson was fired.

I watched Errickson during the first trial and was impressed by her through and tenacious prosecuting skills. It is shocking that she’d be let go after ten years as a superb prosecutor. What makes even less sense is that she was the only one left in the office who lived the Jayson Williams case for six years. Without her, the new prosecutors will have to play catch up.

Errickson is five months pregnant and was devastated by the news. She had to be hospitalized after getting the news. I spoke with Errickson’s attorney, Nancy Erika Smith, who was in the middle of drafting a whistleblower complaint on behalf of Errickson. She will put the Attorney General on notice today of Errickson’s claim against the Prosecutor’s Office.

So now we’ve got prosecutors suing prosecutors instead of prosecutors prosecuting those who should be prosecuted.

Meanwhile Jayson Williams and his all-star legal team of Joe Hayden and Billy Martin must be smiling today. Their intense pressure defense has slowed the case down, and has helped put the prosecution into complete disarray. Now the question is which will occur first – The Jayson Williams re-trial or the New York Knicks making the playoffs?

Vinnie Politan, In Session anchor

Filed under: Uncategorized


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Jackqueline Wilkins   January 9th, 2008 9:33 pm ET

My comment is to just leave Jayson alone. I’m quite sure he is suffering enough after all that has happened. He’s already dealing with the fact that this will be with him for the rest of his life and that alone is painful enough. He has to answer to God for what happen not to the public, media or anyone else.

May God bless you Jayson

cheryl   January 10th, 2008 12:03 am ET

I watched the first trial and was so looking forward to the re-trial with the hope
that Mr. Jayson would be convicted and sent to prison. Sadly now that may not happen. He would probley be found not gulty anyway. Famous sports stars with Money, Money, Money!! usually have a better chance than a poor lemo driver.

Judy   January 10th, 2008 12:21 am ET

leave jayson alone?? well, i guess since he didn’t shoot and kill one of your family members……

we cant leave murders alone, we have laws

Robyn in L.A.   January 10th, 2008 7:27 am ET

“Leave him alone”? You’ve got to be kidding. That’s pathetic. If it was YOUR SON that was dead because of Jayson’s actions would you still feel the same way? Exactly, that’s what I thought.

cynthia figueroa   January 10th, 2008 8:59 am ET

ANITA–YOU ROCK!!!

I am with you 100%! ANYONE who thinks Jayson Williams should not be held accountable for his actions by standing trial–is a person who has no conscieous!
A man is dead (a father/husband/son) because of the neglegant (or intentional) acts of another man. PERIOD. UNFORTUNATELY, in this country sports figures have reached an almost “untouchable status” and there are always IDIOTS who say “leave (them) alone”. BUT then again they’re usually the same people who pull the RACE CARD for everything!

Ace   January 10th, 2008 9:26 am ET

And the previous comment is as racist as it gets. Let the truth be told….$ makes crimes disappear regardless of what color your skin is. You, Ms. Miller need counseling.

Ralphie   January 10th, 2008 1:03 pm ET

Good god almighty, woman. The man killled another man!! Do you reallly think he should go free?? I know, I know, black man kills white man, let the black man go, all his ancestors were oppressed, so he can’t possibility be guilty. Bull crappy! You kill another person, GO TO JAIL!!!!!

Lexi   January 10th, 2008 1:04 pm ET

Dear Ms. Miller,

What is your issue? Why does race always have to come up? Your comment is the reason why the media and others in this world harp on race. YOU turned “ignorant” and decided to bring in the race card! Her BOY! Give me a break! Can we ASSUME you are another red neck who just likes to start confusion? Of course not! We can ASSUME that you are just a stupid person, who happens to be white.

I am sure what the blogger meant when she said, “Leave Jayson alone” was that this case has been drawn out for too long. The limo driver’s family has already settled with Jayson and agree that it was an accident that he handled extremely poorly. He won’t go to prison and any further spending of tax dollars will not bring back the limo driver either. Right now the prosecutor’s office needs to get their act together and make some tough decisions.

No one likes to see anyone murdered, including most black families. Use some of your energy to look into gun laws and other social issues that bring death and destruction.

Sometimes this country is a real embarassment!

Ralphie   January 10th, 2008 1:06 pm ET

Good god almighty, woman! . The man killled another man!! Do you reallly think he should go free?? I know, I know, black man kills white man, let the black man go. All his ancestors were oppressed, so he can’t possibility be guilty. Bull crappy! You kill another person, GO TO JAIL!!!!!

Jay Smith   January 10th, 2008 1:24 pm ET

You must be a white person that want to see a black person hung. She is right. This has been going on for too long and they have not convicted him yet they need to let it go.He need to shoot you and get away with it b/c you are ignorant for that comment, she dont have to “proud black women” to have an opinion.

FYI Im white

Jaye Grayble   January 10th, 2008 1:34 pm ET

Yes leave him alone. Geez, he went to trial and was aquitted, of manslaughter and convicted of 4 other charges. What else do you want from him!!! For godsake our justice system is so eager on convicting a black man, when there is white men out there killing and walking free until its time for them to even go to court…Scott Peterson, Drew Peterson, just to name a few. Not to make a race issue but you figure…..

Mrs.Tate   January 10th, 2008 2:13 pm ET

If that isn’t a racist remark, I don’t know what that is Ms. Miller. What happened to the first amendment right? Freedom of Speech. Ms. Wilkins has a right to her views and opinions without it being classified as a black or white issue. How do you know her nationality just from her remarks? Or is that just another ignorant ASSumption. It’s always funny to me how people presume because a person feels a certain way it has to be black or white… If you read her statement she was speaking on biblical terms rather than racial, but I guess some people only see it with one sided ignorance.

oi vay   January 10th, 2008 2:48 pm ET

omg – i hear ya anita – please leave jayson alone ??
did i read that write – this loudmouth drunken braggart
shot a man to death in his bedroom with one of his many weapons
and then covered it up and asked everyone around him to cover it up -
this is as guilty as it gets – the american justice system is a joke
and i am glad i live in canada -

Dee   January 10th, 2008 3:08 pm ET

He/she is right. They CANNOT leave Mr Williams alone. He killed that man. He certainly should pay for what he did. Pay, as in, what we, the USA ,have set up as consequenses for rules broken. He not only broke a rule, but a commandment. THE BIG ONE. Holy cow. What do you think that poor man’s family thinks?

He’s going through a lot???? TOO BAD FOR HIM….. I’m going through a lot. Some 28 yr old showing off killed my 25 yr old son driving like a nut after he gave my sober son a ride to the store for a Lipton Ice Tea. He broadsided him into a big oak tree speeding around a curve killing him instantly.

I’m sure that driver is going through a lot in prison right now.

Where every killer should be until their punishment time is served.

Princess   January 10th, 2008 3:10 pm ET

I don’t know about her being a “proud black woman”, I am a proud black woman and I don’t think he should’ve gotten away with murder any more than simpson. She may be a white groupie who hopes to be a part of his groupie entourage one day.

kim   January 10th, 2008 3:17 pm ET

I hope that Jason feels remorse, however his actions do not speak that he wants to take responsibility or that he cares. Jason can argue that it was an accident,, however he did try and cover up a murder, accident or no accident. The right thing to do would be to step up like a man and take responsibilty instead of letting this thing drag out. People with money buy the best legal team to get them out of breaking the law, however Jason must realize that when he faces God like the rest of us will do one day, he will not have a high power defense team to defend him. Remember, God has an all seeing eye and an all hearing ear. I am not here to judge anyone. Jason do the right thing in God’s eye so that when the day of judgement comes, you will be counted righteous. Either that or face the wrath. That goes for me and everyone here on earth as well. May God’s word be with you.

Jami Craig   January 10th, 2008 3:31 pm ET

Right on Anita Miller. Enough said!

Erika   January 10th, 2008 3:54 pm ET

Why does race have to come into play? She is entitled to her opinion just like everyone else. Just because she wants him to be left alone doesn’t mean she’s a “proud black woman” who wants “her BOY to get away with MURDER”. If that’s the case, can I possibly be correct in assuming that you are a “conservative white woman” who doesn’t have any personal relationships with black people and you only go by the stereotypes you see on TV????????????????

joe d - Albany   January 10th, 2008 3:55 pm ET

New Jersey Is Corrupt To The Core. Every Judge & DA is for sale in that state & everyone knows it. Williams should be assassinated. The whole state is a big joke.

Ty   January 14th, 2008 12:51 pm ET

I wonder how many of you would want leniency if you had accidentally killed someone? I definitely think he deserves jail time, but it was PROVEN that he had not killed the man on purpose, so what punishment does he deserve for an accidental shooting? I always find it amazing how the people who bring up race first, are the ones always complaining about people pulling the race card. You thought of race first in this issue, Ms Miller, not Ms Wilkens. Id love to know why some people get so angry at the personal opinions somone expresses. She cant just disagree?, she has to be disagreeing because shes black. Now whos ignorant?

joe hachem   January 14th, 2008 6:24 pm ET

he’s innocent i tell ya!!!

so is oj

B   January 15th, 2008 1:39 pm ET

race card? It’s not like people are ever treated diffrently because of race in this country…I mean it’s not like one race ever inslaved anthoer race in the US right?…it amazes me that people honestly think ..gee not even 100 years ago my ancestors tourterd, raped, controled, murdered and tried to exterminate and entire race but why won’t they let it go? Do people seriously think that’s somthing that shouldn’t impact decission making or point of view? It’s in insult to me for someone to say “race card” like it’s not actualy somthing that’s tangable. If your mad that people bring up race and you fell that it is un fair then think of the old saying ” you made your bed…” and apply it to your life daily. Remember that it’s not just your bed and that generations to come have to “sleep” in it as well. Decissions you make today will impact future life, Jasyon Williams didn’t corupt the system it was that way long before he could take advantage of it with his weatlh.

Kiwi   January 21st, 2008 8:42 pm ET

I love when Vinnie blogs!! Vinnie, Vinnie, Vinnie!! Anyway, next time I’ll try to pay better attention to what he blogged.

Tommie Goodman   May 8th, 2008 6:23 pm ET

Jayson shot his dog just because he didn’t come when called and his friend called the dog and it came so Jayson shot the dog with a shot-gun (poor little Mike Vick). Remember how Jayson paraided his pregant wife everyday at the trail, I wonder. Jayson pays top dollor for his toys and you think a micro piece of wood is going to fired a shot-gun like the one he had? thats like saying a loose radio screw is going to make a Rolls-Royce stall.

Hello people Jayson drinks and becomes dangerous, believe me I know.

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