Twitter: Details from Lewis's court appearance

[gimmesix]

The standard is supposed to be without reasonable doubt. If all you have is two conflicting stories and the prosecution has no evidence to corroborate their narrative then I do not see how that standard is met.

It could be DV. It could be divine providence but the law is innocent until proven guilty.

As for his acknowledgement, he describes a melee where he is defending himself trying to get him off of her where he may have pushed her off at the neck. Context is important. He denies knocking her down and choking her.

As is typical the woman is not examined at all whatsoever for violent action.

I don't disagree with what you're saying. I do think in trying to protect women from domestic violence that their role in committing violence themselves is often overlooked or downplayed. That doesn't give the other person the right to commit violence, but figuring out where it crosses the line from protecting yourself to DV can be difficult at times.

Just looking at the tweets on this case, I can't see how Lewis would be convicted of DV because I don't see where the standard of reasonable doubt has been met. Again, I don't pretend to know all of the details of the case.

 

[ConstantReboot]

Have you never grabbed someone to restrain them and it not leave a bruise? My brother and I used to beat on each other all the time (well, he mostly beat on me) and there were often no signs of it.

Now, if I even throw an angry look at my wife, she gets a bruise, but not everyone bruises as easily. Not every place that you touch someone bruises as easily as others. There are a lot of people I could grab by the ankle and drag across the floor who would not be bruised by it. If I put my hands around their neck "forcefully" but did not then apply pressure to choke them, I would be surprised if they bruised.

I don't see it as far-fetched at all that he could have done what he is being accused of without there being physical signs of it. The question is whether he did them and if so, whether that is enough to get him convicted of domestic violence.

I will say I'm surprised that his attorneys have not worked out a plea deal to a lesser charge, but if he did nothing, then I can't blame him for fighting it.

Maybe thats the reason why his attorneys want to fight this? Maybe this is nothing more than false accusations of a high profile person being taken advantage of? From reading the report - of the defendant assaulting her with a pillow makes me chuckle at the absurdity of all of this. Some of you did too. Some people are willing to go through great lengths to extort money from those that have money. And from the report she seems to be one of them.

As far as I can tell she was the instigator in all of this. She woke him up and yelled at him for having the lights on. Seriously? She has anger issues. Then she said he assaulted her with a pillow.

I don't even know why this as reached a court of law. It should have been thrown out right away.

 

[gimmesix]

Maybe thats the reason why his attorneys want to fight this? Maybe this is nothing more than false accusations of a high profile person being taken advantage of? From reading the report - of the defendant assaulting her with a pillow makes me chuckle at the absurdity of all of this. Some of you did too. Some people are willing to go through great lengths to extort money from those that have money. And from the report she seems to be one of them.

As far as I can tell she was the instigator in all of this. She woke him up and yelled at him for having the lights on. Seriously? She has anger issues. Then she said he assaulted her with a pillow.

I don't even know why this as reached a court of law. It should have been thrown out right away.

Well, like I essentially said earlier, prosecutors generally don't like to pursue cases that they don't feel they can win, so there was something there that they must have felt warranted the charge. That doesn't mean that it did, but I certainly don't feel it should have been thrown out if those investigating this believed that DV was involved.

If it had clearly been a false accusation, it wouldn't have gotten to this point. So there's at least some level of believability even if it turns out she was lying. As far as extortion goes, has anything been reported that she tried to get money from him to make it go away? I have a hard time saying someone is out to extort money if there's no evidence she asked for money.

 

[ConstantReboot]

Well, like I essentially said earlier, prosecutors generally don't like to pursue cases that they don't feel they can win, so there was something there that they must have felt warranted the charge. That doesn't mean that it did, but I certainly don't feel it should have been thrown out if those investigating this believed that DV was involved.

If it had clearly been a false accusation, it wouldn't have gotten to this point. So there's at least some level of believability even if it turns out she was lying. As far as extortion goes, has anything been reported that she tried to get money from him to make it go away? I have a hard time saying someone is out to extort money if there's no evidence she asked for money.

Good point. Generally thats true and I didn't read your previous postings on this matter. However prosecutors are not infallible. Sometimes they like the limelight of taking on a high profile case for the publicity. Who knows. But your right. Maybe they did see something worth taking to court.

As for the extortion subject, well just because there is no evidence doesn't mean that it isn't so. Sometimes I wish that there was a law in which you can countersue someone who falsely accused you of something. Maybe that will stop some people from falsely accusing someone.

 

[gimmesix]

Good point. Generally thats true and I didn't read your previous postings on this matter. However prosecutors are not infallible. Sometimes they like the limelight of taking on a high profile case for the publicity. Who knows. But your right. Maybe they did see something worth taking to court.

As for the extortion subject, well just because there is no evidence doesn't mean that it isn't so. Sometimes I wish that there was a law in which you can countersue someone who falsely accused you of something. Maybe that will stop some people from falsely accusing someone.

I think players have to be smart especially in this day and age in how they handle relationships (if they are doing nothing wrong). If someone is trying to extort from you, then record it and use it as evidence against them. If they say something that implicates you in a text, don't erase it. If someone is raging against you, pull out your phone and record it.

 

[ConstantReboot]

I think players have to be smart especially in this day and age in how they handle relationships (if they are doing nothing wrong). If someone is trying to extort from you, then record it and use it as evidence against them. If they say something that implicates you in a text, don't erase it. If someone is raging against you, pull out your phone and record it.

Well thats the problem. These boys are athletes and really don't know anything else besides football. Then they are thrown into the limelight and their expected to act as if they know everything whats going on outside of the world.

Thus I did recommend that the Cowboys should have some kind of PR firm that advises and guides these types of matters to players. They have coaches and trainers but hardly anyone that helps players regarding to social, legal and PR issues.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

Yeah. Ridiculously wasteful to allow people basic rights to have complaints heard by a jury.

We should repeal the 6th Amendment.

The amendment is the worst. The worst.

Either you've got enough evidence to make a case or you don't

This is why if i was a famous person i am not picking up girls from the clubs or parties. That's how you get set up. Problem is these dudes going to the hiphop clubs getting in bad situations. Go to a jazz club. Grown and sexy not young and dumb.

"new hotness" vs "old and busted"

 

[gimmesix]

I think players have to be smart especially in this day and age in how they handle relationships (if they are doing nothing wrong). If someone is trying to extort from you, then record it and use it as evidence against them. If they say something that implicates you in a text, don't erase it. If someone is raging against you, pull out your phone and record it.

That should read "implicates them," not you. Obviously, if someone says something that implicates the player, he should not hold on to that.

 

[jlust22]

Jourdan Lewis has been found not guilty on both domestic violence and assault and battery counts. espn.com/espn/now?nowId…

 

[Idgit]

Some more details re: his side of the story:

the defense had a videotaped interview of Lewis being questioned by Ann Arbor police played in court.

“She came in and started hollering,’’ said Lewis during the taped interview. “I called her the B word and she kept hitting me in my face. I was just trying to get out the door. I tried to leave and she was in the way. I picked her up by the shoulders to get her out the way.

"None of this was malicious. For 10 to 15 minutes she kept badgering me. She was upset because I kept the light on. I apologized to her about the pillow and she said she needed a better apology. I was just trying to get out of the house. I wasn’t hitting her or anything. She wrapped around my leg from the bedroom to the door. My whole goal was just to get out of the house. She just kept saying ‘hit me, hit me, hit me.’ She was not getting off me.’’

Ann Arbor Police Officer Mark Pulford Jr. testified that he and his partner responded to the call.

He said there didn’t seem to be a major confrontation in the apartment.

Pulford said he recalled the woman telling police that she was on the ground.

“She didn’t remember how she got on the ground,’’ he said.

Pulford said that they reached Lewis hours later and he was forthcoming and honest about the incident, saying he shouldn’t have cursed at the woman and shouldn't have thrown pillows at her.

“He acknowledged what he did wrong,’’ said Pulford.

The trial began Monday with jury selection after Lewis refused a plea bargain in the deal last week.

The incident dropped Lewis into the third round of the NFL draft, where he was selected by the Dallas Cowboys.

Lewis attorney, John Shea, tried to get the plaintiff to admit she goaded Lewis, who was in bed asleep when she arrived home late to lights on in the apartment.

The pair had been dating for three years and moved in together in September of 2015.

​

 

[Texas_Pete]

Not guilty of pillow fighting!

 

[tyke1doe]

One of the things I make a big deal about with our paper is reporting sex-related and violence-related crimes. We get a lot of flak for that from readers who don't want to see "bad news" on the front page because it hurts the image of the city, but I staunchly defend my decision because I believe that those who commit those crimes need to be called out prominently for it. They don't need to be able to just explain it away, if it's not brought to light, to protect their reputation.

I'm glad we drafted Lewis for what he can bring to our team, but I can't just laugh off what he is accused of. If he did it, then he deserves to be held responsible for it. We get some readers who think DV is a "private" matter, but I was talking to the mayor here a while back and he said that DV reports to the police far outnumber any other kinds of calls that they receive. As long as we continue to trivialize the situation or blame the victims we fail to see how serious it is. I could put up some numbers, but I'll leave it at that.

As I said, I hope Lewis proves to be innocent of the charges. However, if he's guilty, then he needs to carry that stigma around with him and hopefully not put himself in such a situation again.

I believe you. I used to check the police blotters also. I have also interviewed domestic abuse victims and used to hear my neighbor beating his wife long time ago.

 

[tyke1doe]

Some more details re: his side of the story:

the defense had a videotaped interview of Lewis being questioned by Ann Arbor police played in court.

“She came in and started hollering,’’ said Lewis during the taped interview. “I called her the B word and she kept hitting me in my face. I was just trying to get out the door. I tried to leave and she was in the way. I picked her up by the shoulders to get her out the way.

"None of this was malicious. For 10 to 15 minutes she kept badgering me. She was upset because I kept the light on. I apologized to her about the pillow and she said she needed a better apology. I was just trying to get out of the house. I wasn’t hitting her or anything. She wrapped around my leg from the bedroom to the door. My whole goal was just to get out of the house. She just kept saying ‘hit me, hit me, hit me.’ She was not getting off me.’’

Ann Arbor Police Officer Mark Pulford Jr. testified that he and his partner responded to the call.

He said there didn’t seem to be a major confrontation in the apartment.

Pulford said he recalled the woman telling police that she was on the ground.

“She didn’t remember how she got on the ground,’’ he said.

Pulford said that they reached Lewis hours later and he was forthcoming and honest about the incident, saying he shouldn’t have cursed at the woman and shouldn't have thrown pillows at her.

“He acknowledged what he did wrong,’’ said Pulford.

The trial began Monday with jury selection after Lewis refused a plea bargain in the deal last week.

The incident dropped Lewis into the third round of the NFL draft, where he was selected by the Dallas Cowboys.

Lewis attorney, John Shea, tried to get the plaintiff to admit she goaded Lewis, who was in bed asleep when she arrived home late to lights on in the apartment.

The pair had been dating for three years and moved in together in September of 2015.

​

Glad he didn't plea bargain. If you didn't do it, you didn't do it. Fight it.

 

[Idgit]

Glad he didn't plea bargain. If you didn't do it, you didn't do it. Fight it.

Just reading his side of it, because I believe it, makes me boil. I can't imagine being woken up from sleep for having left a light on. And I can't imagine the audacity to him him, tell him to hit you, wrap yourself around his legs, lie to the cops about not knowing how you got on the floor, and then bring charges against him in court after a three year relationship over something so stupid and that you so obviously initiated. And then he apologizes for calling her a ***** and whipping pillows at her. Sheesh.

 

[tyke1doe]

Just reading his side of it, because I believe it, makes me boil. I can't imagine being woken up from sleep for having left a light on. And I can't imagine the audacity to him him, tell him to hit you, wrap yourself around his legs, lie to the cops about not knowing how you got on the floor, and then bring charges against him in court after a three year relationship over something so stupid and that you so obviously initiated. And then he apologizes for calling her a ***** and whipping pillows at her. Sheesh.

I had a crazy girlfriend once who scratched me all up for essentially nothing (mad I didn't buy her mom a gift when the purpose of a gift is to show the BUYER'S appreciation and sacrifice. It wasn't my mom. I shouldn't buy her a gift from her daughter). I know this issue better than most.

 

[gimmesix]

Some more details re: his side of the story:

the defense had a videotaped interview of Lewis being questioned by Ann Arbor police played in court.

“She came in and started hollering,’’ said Lewis during the taped interview. “I called her the B word and she kept hitting me in my face. I was just trying to get out the door. I tried to leave and she was in the way. I picked her up by the shoulders to get her out the way.

"None of this was malicious. For 10 to 15 minutes she kept badgering me. She was upset because I kept the light on. I apologized to her about the pillow and she said she needed a better apology. I was just trying to get out of the house. I wasn’t hitting her or anything. She wrapped around my leg from the bedroom to the door. My whole goal was just to get out of the house. She just kept saying ‘hit me, hit me, hit me.’ She was not getting off me.’’

Ann Arbor Police Officer Mark Pulford Jr. testified that he and his partner responded to the call.

He said there didn’t seem to be a major confrontation in the apartment.

Pulford said he recalled the woman telling police that she was on the ground.

“She didn’t remember how she got on the ground,’’ he said.

Pulford said that they reached Lewis hours later and he was forthcoming and honest about the incident, saying he shouldn’t have cursed at the woman and shouldn't have thrown pillows at her.

“He acknowledged what he did wrong,’’ said Pulford.

The trial began Monday with jury selection after Lewis refused a plea bargain in the deal last week.

The incident dropped Lewis into the third round of the NFL draft, where he was selected by the Dallas Cowboys.

Lewis attorney, John Shea, tried to get the plaintiff to admit she goaded Lewis, who was in bed asleep when she arrived home late to lights on in the apartment.

The pair had been dating for three years and moved in together in September of 2015.

​

Man, if the prosecutor didn't have more than that, they needed to put a new prosecutor in place. But I guess we can look at it this way, if they had not charged him, he probably wouldn't be a Cowboy.

 

[gimmesix]

I believe you. I used to check the police blotters also. I have also interviewed domestic abuse victims and used to hear my neighbor beating his wife long time ago.

It's sad what levels some people stoop to. So glad to hear that there didn't seem to be any basis for this charge. If our prosecutor had done this, we would be calling her out for it.

 

[Lutonio]

You see? This is exactly why we need more strict pillow control laws. Any psychopath can wall into Bed, Bath & Beyond and leave with a deadly weapon!

 

[Nightman]

Man, if the prosecutor didn't have more than that, they needed to put a new prosecutor in place. But I guess we can look at it this way, if they had not charged him, he probably wouldn't be a Cowboy.

And 100% of us on all sides have ignored the fact that she assaulted him several times because he called her a bithc....... she started the fight, escalated the fight, continued the fight, did all of the punching and then she called the cops and he got arrested and charged......... there is something seriously wrong here that a refused plea deal(they still wanted a pound of flesh) and a Not Guilty verdict can fix or hide

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Some more details re: his side of the story:

the defense had a videotaped interview of Lewis being questioned by Ann Arbor police played in court.

“She came in and started hollering,’’ said Lewis during the taped interview. “I called her the B word and she kept hitting me in my face. I was just trying to get out the door. I tried to leave and she was in the way. I picked her up by the shoulders to get her out the way.

"None of this was malicious. For 10 to 15 minutes she kept badgering me. She was upset because I kept the light on. I apologized to her about the pillow and she said she needed a better apology. I was just trying to get out of the house. I wasn’t hitting her or anything. She wrapped around my leg from the bedroom to the door. My whole goal was just to get out of the house. She just kept saying ‘hit me, hit me, hit me.’ She was not getting off me.’’

Ann Arbor Police Officer Mark Pulford Jr. testified that he and his partner responded to the call.

He said there didn’t seem to be a major confrontation in the apartment.

Pulford said he recalled the woman telling police that she was on the ground.

“She didn’t remember how she got on the ground,’’ he said.

Pulford said that they reached Lewis hours later and he was forthcoming and honest about the incident, saying he shouldn’t have cursed at the woman and shouldn't have thrown pillows at her.

“He acknowledged what he did wrong,’’ said Pulford.

The trial began Monday with jury selection after Lewis refused a plea bargain in the deal last week.

The incident dropped Lewis into the third round of the NFL draft, where he was selected by the Dallas Cowboys.

Lewis attorney, John Shea, tried to get the plaintiff to admit she goaded Lewis, who was in bed asleep when she arrived home late to lights on in the apartment.

The pair had been dating for three years and moved in together in September of 2015.

​

That's just disgusting. I can't believe they prosecuted him for that.