OMAHA, Neb. —Omaha world boxing champion Terence Crawford spent Wednesday in courtroom instead of a ring.
He was found guilty of damage to property and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors, after an incident in April in which he, according to a police report, showed up with some friends at the Extreme Customs Auto Body Shop and demanded to take a car he left for a paint job.
"I mean, it kills me," Steve Lefler, Crawford's lawyer, said. "You guys don't know. The public doesn't know how much you give to these cases and I thought we were going to win."
The shop owner told police that Crawford still owed more than $1,300, and that Crawford yelled, "When you have money, you can do what you want." Crawford managed to get his car off of a hydraulic lift, the owner said, and pushed it out of the parking lot.
The lift was left on, the report said, and when police arrived, it had melted, causing hydraulic fluid to spill.
Lefler argued that it was just a civil case and the owner was only after money because of Crawford's fame. But prosecutors said the status doesn't matter.
"Whether you're someone who has some sort of notoriety or publicity -- it doesn't matter to us," City Prosecutor Matt Kuhse said.
Even though the judge found Crawford not guilty of one charge and dropped all the charges against fellow fighter Wayne Sullivan, Kuhse said he's happy with the outcome.
"What we want is for people to get convicted or acquitted even based on the evidence that's presented in the courtroom today," Kuhse said.
But according to Lefler, Crawford will be back in court, saying he plans to file a civil case and possibly an appeal.
"I know I'm getting too emotional," Lefler said. "That's because I'm very disappointed and I feel like I let my client down."
Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 15
Article courtesy of KETV
He was found guilty of damage to property and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors, after an incident in April in which he, according to a police report, showed up with some friends at the Extreme Customs Auto Body Shop and demanded to take a car he left for a paint job.
"I mean, it kills me," Steve Lefler, Crawford's lawyer, said. "You guys don't know. The public doesn't know how much you give to these cases and I thought we were going to win."
The shop owner told police that Crawford still owed more than $1,300, and that Crawford yelled, "When you have money, you can do what you want." Crawford managed to get his car off of a hydraulic lift, the owner said, and pushed it out of the parking lot.
The lift was left on, the report said, and when police arrived, it had melted, causing hydraulic fluid to spill.
Lefler argued that it was just a civil case and the owner was only after money because of Crawford's fame. But prosecutors said the status doesn't matter.
"Whether you're someone who has some sort of notoriety or publicity -- it doesn't matter to us," City Prosecutor Matt Kuhse said.
Even though the judge found Crawford not guilty of one charge and dropped all the charges against fellow fighter Wayne Sullivan, Kuhse said he's happy with the outcome.
"What we want is for people to get convicted or acquitted even based on the evidence that's presented in the courtroom today," Kuhse said.
But according to Lefler, Crawford will be back in court, saying he plans to file a civil case and possibly an appeal.
"I know I'm getting too emotional," Lefler said. "That's because I'm very disappointed and I feel like I let my client down."
Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 15
Article courtesy of KETV
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