FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. March 4 -- A day after attending a hearing in Aruba on assault charges, pitcher Sidney Ponson returned Friday to the Baltimore Orioles, confident and happy that his legal troubles seem almost behind him.
Judge Bob Wit postponed his decision on charges stemming from an altercation on Christmas day until May, giving Ponson time to reach a settlement with the two people who have accused him of assault. The charges against Ponson -- who must also make a sizeable donation to charity and perform 80 hours of community service -- will be dropped once a settlement is reached.
Sidney Ponson returned to the Orioles on Friday and seems happy that his legal troubles are almost behind him.
(Rick Bowmer - AP)
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"I was relieved," Ponson said. "Things could have been worse. I was in limbo. I didn't know what they were going to do. It might be this, it might be that. In the end when he said that, I was happy."
Ponson described his day in court Friday at Fort Lauderdale Stadium, where the Orioles lost to the Florida Marlins, 3-1.
The Aruban has been knighted in his native country, but in the courtroom he sat on a simple folding chair. The judge conducted the hearings in Papiamento, the native language of Aruba; the prosecutor asked Ponson questions in Dutch. On a bench several feet away, Orioles Vice President of Baseball Operations Mike Flanagan and agents Barry Praver and Scott Shapiro huddled to hear an interpretation of the events.
Perhaps the most important result of the postponement: Ponson likely will avoid having a conviction on his record, which could have caused a problem in retaining his work visa or in acquiring a visa in the future. Shapiro was retained because, in addition to being an agent, he is also an immigration lawyer.
"We did not underestimate the importance of this," Flanagan said. "In today's world [given] the changing status of immigration, it was a very important day."
The trial took place in a tiny room, 20 feet by 40 feet, that had one small air conditioning unit to battle temperatures that reached nearly 100 degrees.
Ponson's family and friends sat to his right. Flanagan, Praver and Shapiro sat behind the pitcher on one side, while reporters sat on the other.
In Aruba, the judge makes all decisions and also can ask questions of the accused and any witnesses. Ponson was seated directly in front of the judge.
"You are right there. You are by yourself," Flanagan said.
"I'd rather pitch in front of 50,000 people than go in front of a judge," Ponson said. "I'm scared of one person not 50,000. I'm definitely going to work my butt off not ever to get in front of a judge again."
Ponson's defense lawyer was seated behind the pitcher and was forbidden from providing any counsel during the trial. One of the accusers, during his testimony, told the judge he wanted to be compensated $40,000 for his pain and suffering. The judge called the request ludicrous.
"It was interesting to say the least," Flanagan said.
After the verdict, Ponson met with the accusers and apologized for the incident.
Ponson thought that the accuser perhaps was looking for compensation for medical expenses. The two sides have already established parameters for a monetary settlement and likely will complete the agreement within 10 days.
"The two people that appeared in court gave an indication of what they were looking for," Praver said. "It's not going to be a problem."
A relieved Ponson had lunch with his sister and mother before flying back to Florida.
"It was not an easy day," Flanagan said. "The outcome was what we hoped it would be. But we didn't know that going in. We weren't confident about that."
The most difficult part of Ponson's troubles appear over. He has attended 27 hours of anger management classes, which he sought on his own. He hopes to use the community service time to help disabled children. In Aruba, Ponson appears to have recovered his eminent status. "It seemed like everyone on the island knew him from the custom agents to the people who work around the hotels and restaurants," Flanagan said. "It was a big deal."
