Burress Appears in Court
Giants Wide Receiver Posts Bail for Weapons Charges
Plaxico Burress arrives at court in Manhattan. Police are also investigating the role of teammate Antonio Pierce in Burress's accidental shooting.
(By David Karp -- Associated Press)
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Tuesday, December 2, 2008
New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress made a court appearance yesterday on weapons possession charges after turning himself in to police and being taken from a midtown Manhattan precinct in handcuffs.
Burress was freed after posting $100,000 bail and was scheduled to be back in court on March 31. He was not required to enter a plea, although his attorney indicated earlier he would plead not guilty. He faces a potential jail sentence of 3 1/2 to 15 years after being charged with two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
The Super Bowl standout suffered a thigh wound after reportedly shooting himself in the leg accidentally early Saturday morning. The incident occurred at a New York nightclub at which Burress showed up carrying a gun he was not properly licensed to carry, according to reports.
Police were investigating the role of Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce, who was with Burress at the nightclub, in the shooting, and New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg told reporters he wanted to see Burress prosecuted "to the fullest extent of the law."
Burress did not speak during his court appearance.
He arrived at the police station in the morning in a black Cadillac Escalade, wearing jeans and a black coat. His attorney, Benjamin Brafman, told reporters outside the 17th Precinct station that Burress would plead not guilty to the charges.
"He is standing tall," Brafman said, according to the Associated Press. "He is a mature adult. I think any professional athlete in this situation would be concerned."
Brafman told reporters many of the media portrayals of the incident had been inaccurate. He said he is hopeful Burress will be able to resume his NFL career soon.
"If they let him play, he will be able to play. . . . I think he will be a superstar for the rest of his career," the high-profile attorney said, according to the AP.
"My hope is that it plays out well, and he can continue his career because he's a good person, I think, with a brilliant athletic career. And it would be a terrible sadness if an isolated incident could ruin a life."
Agent Drew Rosenhaus, who represents Burress, said during a halftime interview on ESPN's "Monday Night Football" telecast that Burress will report to the Giants today for a scheduled treatment session. Rosenhaus said he is hopeful that Burress will play for the Giants again.
Two New York newspapers, the Post and Daily News, reported over the weekend that, according to records, Burress did not have a permit to carry a gun in New York. Burress had a concealed-weapon permit issued to him in Florida, but records showed it expired in May, and New York does not recognize out-of-state permits, the newspapers reported.
