Plea deal is sought in Sean Taylor case

An attorney for the 17-year-old accused gunman in the killing of Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor wants to work with prosecutors to resolve the case.

Sawyer Smith, who along with his father Wilbur is representing Eric Rivera, said Wednesday in Miami that his client was admitting no wrongdoing yet.

“When the State Attorney’s Office is ready, we would like to sit down and begin discussion with them so we can move toward a resolution in the case that has the best interest of all parties in mind,” Smith said. “We want to minimize the impact of case resolution on the Taylor family and find a result that’s in the best interest of justice.”

Smith added: “Plea negotiations are typical in criminal cases. However, we don’t know when or if that will occur.”

Circuit Judge John Thornton Jr. denied Rivera bail Wednesday in his brief appearance via videoconference in a Miami-Dade County courtroom. His three co-defendants were denied bail Tuesday.

All four -- Rivera; Charles Wardlow, 18; Jason Mitchell, 19; and Venjah Hunte, 20 -- have been charged with first-degree felony murder and armed burglary. Their arraignments are Dec. 21.

Richard Sharpstein, Taylor’s attorney, said he expected them all to be “severely punished.”

Taylor died Nov. 27, a day after he was shot in the bedroom of his home. Police have said the 24-year-old player was a victim of a botched burglary.

MISCELLANY

Colorado suit settled for $2.8 million

The University of Colorado agreed to pay two women $2.85 million to settle a lawsuit alleging they were sexually assaulted by football players and recruits, school officials said in Denver.

The allegations had sparked a football recruiting scandal at the school, prompted broad university reforms and led to a shake-up of its top leaders.

University spokesman Ken McConnellogue said the school also agreed to hire an advisor to monitor compliance with federal laws governing equal treatment of women and add a position in the university Office of Victim Assistance.

The agreement came two months after an appellate court revived the lawsuit.

One of the women, Lisa Simpson, will receive $2.5 million, McConnellogue said. The other woman, who did not wish to be identified, will receive $350,000. The school did not admit fault or liability.

The Associated Press does not identify the victims of alleged sexual assault, but Simpson has agreed to be identified in media reports.

The women said they were raped by football players and recruits at an off-campus party Dec. 7, 2001. Their lawsuit alleged the university violated federal law by fostering an environment that allowed sexual assaults to occur.

A federal judge dismissed the suit in 2005, saying the women failed to show evidence of deliberate indifference.

The fallout from the suit included the resignations of CU System president Betsy Hoffman and athletic director Dick Tharp.

The arraignment of Adam “Pacman” Jones was rescheduled for today because a co-defendant missed a flight and was unable to attend the hearing in Las Vegas.

The suspended NFL player was expected to get probation for pleading no contest to a reduced charge of conspiracy to commit disorderly conduct in a February strip-club melee that preceded a triple shooting, which left a man paralyzed.

The trial of Indiana Pacers guards Jamaal Tinsley and Marquis Daniels stemming from a bar fight almost a year ago was delayed until Jan. 14 in Indianapolis.

The trial was to have begun Monday, but defense attorney James Voyles requested the delay, the second since September, because the Pacers play at Cleveland on Tuesday.

A Marion Superior Court jury is expected to hear three days of testimony.

A grand jury indicted Tinsley on a felony charge of intimidation and misdemeanor counts of battery, disorderly conduct and intimidation in the Feb. 6 fight. Daniels is charged with battery and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors.

Britain will set up an independent anti-doping agency ahead of the 2012 London Olympics, with a focus on targeting drug dealers.

The British government said the new agency will work with law enforcement agencies. Drug testing of British athletes is currently the responsibility of UK Sport, the organization that controls public funding of sports.

“In the same way drug cheats are constantly finding new ways to beat the system, we have to constantly look at what we do to catch them,” Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe said.

The recommendation comes after a six-month review by UK Sport of its anti-doping system. The United States and Australia also have independent anti-doping agencies.

The new agency will decide whether an athlete committed a doping offense and have the authority to present cases to a disciplinary panel.