Court hears testimony in trial of NBA's Payton
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-07-06 09:56

The trial of National Basketball Association star Gary Payton and two other players on assault charges started on Tuesday with testimony from police involved with the case.

Sam Cassell of the National Basketball Association Minnesota Timberwolves arrives for a court appearance to face two counts of simple assault charges in Toronto, July 5, 2005. [Reuters]

Boston Celtics' Payton, Sam Cassell of the Minnesota Timberwolves and free agent Jason Caffey, were all charged in April 2003 after an altercation outside a Toronto strip club with one of the club's dancers, her boyfriend and the club's security guard.

The three men, who were teammates on the Milwaukee Bucks at the time, were in town for a game against the Toronto Raptors.

They have all pleaded not guilty.

The court listened to testimony on Tuesday from three police detectives and two employees of the hotel where the players were staying. The court also watched a 30-minute video of the stripper and her boyfriend going through a photo lineup.

One of the detectives testified that the main victim in the case, the stripper's boyfriend, suffered cuts to his left ear, his right eyelid and had bruises on both shoulders.

Another detective, who photographed the injuries the day of the incident, said the bruises could have been from an unrelated incident, but that the other cuts appeared fresh.

Cassell, who is charged with one count of aggravated assault causing bodily harm and one count of simple assault, was the only player in court.

Payton, who is charged with one count of aggravated assault causing bodily harm and two counts of simple assault, is expected to be in court on Wednesday. Caffey is not expected to attend the trial according to his lawyer.

Payton, Cassell and Caffey, who are being represented by high-profile criminal lawyer Edward Greenspan, could face up to 18 months in prison if convicted.

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