Jul 18, 2007 12:11 am US/Central
Jones' Lawyer: 'I Believe It's A Defendable Case'
by Esme Murphy
Minneapolis (WCCO) ―
Dominic Jones, a star Minnesota Gopher athlete accused of rape at a drunken party, is out of jail with his prominent defense attorney saying that he will be vindicated.
Meanwhile, the University of Minnesota is struggling to explain how the convicted felon who hosted that party was living for free in campus housing.
Jones is used to cameras following him down the field but on Tuesday cameras caught one of this kick returner walking out of jail.
Prosecutors say they have cell phone video showing Jones finishing a sex act on an unconscious woman at a drunken party.
Jones' high-powered attorney said he hasn't seen that video.
"I can tell you we're going to defend the case and go to trail on it and I believe we will win the case," said Earl Gray, Jones defense attorney.
Court documents say the party's host, Robert McField, witnessed Jones raping the woman. McField's role in the scandal adds another layer to this tale of athletes out of control.
Officials say McField was kicked off the football team in October when the University learned he had been charged with two armed robberies in Missouri.
However, his family told WCCO-TV that the school let him keep his scholarship and live for free in the same university apartment where the drunken party would later took place.
McField eventually pleaded guilty to those felonies on March 26. A week later he's accused of hosting the party and three days later other players at the party were arrested.
However, four more days passed before McField was ask to leave the university.
"I believe it's a defendable case," said Gray of his client Jones.
Gray said McField's felony record will discredit his testimony but there's still the cell phone video.
As for the University of Minnesota, there is still the story of athletes unchecked and the question of why a university tainted by past athletic scandals didn't act sooner to remove a central figure in this case from campus.
The school says the delay was unfortunate but that it relies on judges to deal with felons.
WCCO-TV did speak with a girlfriend of the victim who was at the party. She declined to comment.
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