Jayson Williams seeking to overturn convictions
Tue Sep 01, 2009 10:46 am
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Not to trivialise racial slurs or dismiss the idea that racial bias was at all a factor out of hand, but given the circumstances I think Jayson Williams got off pretty easy. Again, not to downplay any racism that might have been afoot, but given what the sentence could've been it doesn't seem like he was treated that unfairly by Lember.
The prosecutor who tried Jayson Williams for manslaughter more than five years ago could find himself back in court, this time to answer allegations that the former NBA star was the victim of racial bias and prosecutorial misconduct.
State Superior Court Judge Edward Coleman on Monday set a late September date for a hearing that will examine an incident in which a senior investigator for the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office used a racial slur to describe Williams during an office meeting in 2002.
Steven Lember, who prosecuted the 2004 trial in which Williams was convicted on four counts of covering up the fatal shooting of hired driver Costas Christofi, is expected to be subpoenaed to testify at the hearing.
Not to trivialise racial slurs or dismiss the idea that racial bias was at all a factor out of hand, but given the circumstances I think Jayson Williams got off pretty easy. Again, not to downplay any racism that might have been afoot, but given what the sentence could've been it doesn't seem like he was treated that unfairly by Lember.