The Morning Dish – Saturday, June 14th:
Sentenced: Missouri guard Ricky Clemons was sentenced yesterday on misdemeanor charges of assault to two months in prison, and two years probation. As you’ll recall, Clemons pleaded guilty to the charges brought by Jessica Bunge, who accused Clemons of pushing and choking her on campus. Missouri had already suspended Clemons for the upcoming 2003-04 season, though Clemons will still have one year of eligibility remaining.
Charges Dropped: Obstruction of justice charges against current Sacramento Kings forward Chris Webber were dropped by federal prosecutors, in relation to the Ed Martin-University of Michigan scandal. Webber, who allegedly received over $280,000 during high school and while at Michigan, had testified to a grand jury that he did not receive any monies, contradicting sworn testimony by Martin himself. Martin passed away in February of this year. Charges of perjury against Webber and his father, Mayce Webber, Jr. still stand, and the trial is to start Monday.
Seeking Dismissal: Indiana University is seeking to have a lawsuit brought by former head coach Bobby Knight for breach of contract dismissed. We all know the story, but here’s a quick rundown: Former Indiana president Myles Brand fired Knight after a pattern of “unacceptable behavior” on- and off-court. Knight, currently head coach of Texas Tech, sued, stating that he was entitled to a meeting with university trustees, and never received the cause of his firing or a chance to defend himself. The school stated in a brief given to Judge Kenneth Todd that Knight’s employment agreement stated that they could fire him at any time by notifying him in writing. Knight had coached the Hoosiers for 29 seasons and won three National Championships.
