Jury Split in Trial of Eastman

A federal jury deadlocked Monday on charges against a lawyer who helped former Kings’ owner Bruce McNall buy the hockey team and acquire Wayne Gretzky.

The jury was split, 6-6, on the 12 counts against Mark Eastman, which included conspiracy, bank fraud and making false statements to a bank. A June 3 retrial was scheduled.

Eastman, 43, had been indicted in November, 1995, and the lengthy government probe included a trip to the Netherlands to depose bank employees of Credit Lyonnais.

McNall, who is serving a 70-month prison sentence, and a dozen other defendants pleaded guilty. Eastman was the only one who went to trial.

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The jury in Jose Mesa’s rape trial can consider a lesser charge when it begins deliberating today, a day after the Cleveland Indian pitcher’s lawyer rested his case without calling any witnesses.

Cuyahoga County Judge Thomas Curran ruled Monday that the jury of six men and six women may consider whether Mesa was guilty of the reduced charge of gross sexual imposition.

In an unrelated matter, The Plain Dealer of Cleveland reported that a Toronto woman is seeking at least $1 million in a lawsuit against Mesa and former teammate Tony Pena, alleging that the players gave her a tranquilizer and had sex with her in Anaheim in May 1996.

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Roosevelt Wagner, a former Michigan State football player charged with drug trafficking, was listed in serious condition after complaining of chest pains in Ravenna, Ohio.

New Orleans Saint fullback Ray Zellars was arrested in Kenner, La., for reckless operation of a vehicle, driving while intoxicated and having no license.

Basketball

There were indications that Fred Williams’ job as USC’s women’s basketball coach may be in jeopardy after a source told The Times that USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett had scheduled a meeting with returning players today.

Garrett said such a meeting was scheduled but said it was part of a normal post-season evaluation of a coach.

Contacted at home, Williams would not confirm he still had a job. “You’ll have to get that from Mike (Garrett),” he said.

UC Irvine hired Todd Lee as an assistant men’s coach.

Tennis

Marc Rosset defeated Nicolas Kiefer of Germany, 6-2, 6-2, to reach the second round of the Salem Open in Hong Kong.

Seventh-seeded Francisco Clavet rallied to beat unseeded Italian Andrea Gaudenzi, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, in the first round of the Estoril Open at Oeiras, Portugal.

Chanda Rubin turned back 10th-seeded Barbara Paulus of Austria, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), and Jennifer Capriati beat Catalina Cristea of Romania, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2) in first-round play in the Bausch & Lomb Championships on clay at Amelia Island, Fla.

Football

The Baltimore Ravens signed free-agent defensive end Michael McCrary to a three-year, $6-million contract.

Robert Chancey, a 5-foot-11, 260-pound fullback who chose to play minor league baseball instead of going to college five years ago, signed a three-year contract with the San Diego Chargers.

The San Francisco 49ers became the first NFL team to implement a domestic partner policy for team employees and players.

Free agent safety Brock Marion, who believed he was a Baltimore Raven until being spurned at the last minute by owner Art Modell because of suspected medical problems, re-signed with the Dallas Cowboys.

Miscellany

The Nike Shreveport Open, scheduled to be played Thursday through Sunday at Southern Trace Country Club, has been postponed because of severe flooding.

Ed Martin, a booster under investigation for alleged cash payments to players, reportedly was allowed to buy special tickets from Michigan as late as Feb. 18, 1996, though the university told the NCAA he had not received that kind of treatment since 1994 season.