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Denver Native (Carol)
01-15-2010, 08:04 PM
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4829467

DENVER -- The trial of the man accused of killing Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams is on track to begin next month with at least one former teammate scheduled to testify.

The judge in the case said during a hearing Friday that Javon Walker, now with the Oakland Raiders, has been subpoenaed to testify against Willie D. Clark.

Clark is charged with first-degree murder in the New Year's Day 2007 drive-by shooting death of Williams, who was riding in a rented limousine after leaving a Denver nightclub. An indictment says Williams and Clark had been at the club with separate groups that exchanged taunts.

Williams died inside the limousine in Walker's arms. During an interview months later on HBO's "Real Sports," Walker said then-teammate Brandon Marshall and his cousin exchanged angry words with two men who confronted Williams and his group after taking offense when Marshall sprayed them with champagne. It was unclear whether Marshall would be called to testify.

Clark has said he wasn't involved in the shooting.

Dressed in bright red jail clothes, Clark leaned over to his defense attorneys and grimaced at District Judge Christina Habas as she ruled on several technical matters.

"I know you may not agree with everything I'm doing, but please, don't react," Habas sternly told Clark.

Despite restrictions on communicating with people in custody, two Clark supporters audibly kissed their hands and blew in Clark's direction as they left the courtroom. State court administrator Rob McCallum did not immediately know if those two, a young man and woman, face any sanctions.

Clark is a suspected gang member known as "Little Let Loose" and "Lil Willie." He and two others face murder charges in the shooting death of Kalonniann Clark in Denver in December 2006. She was killed the day before she was to testify in an unrelated drug case.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Timothy Twining has said that many witnesses are fearful for their lives and asked to be allowed to testify in private in Habas' chambers.

Instead, Habas imposed strict security measures, including screenings with metal detectors at the courthouse entrance and outside the courtroom. She banned any communication from inside the courtroom, which means no cell phones, texting or using the Internet, partly to keep the movements of witnesses secret.

Cameras are also banned from the entire fourth floor of the courthouse.

Habas will allow a sketch artist in the courtroom but with several restrictions, including an explicit prohibition on drawing the face of star prosecution witness Daniel Harris, who once faced federal drug charges that carried up to life in prison.

According to testimony in court, Harris is now in the witness protection program.

Twining said Harris' inability to testify against Clark would "jeopardize this case."

Habas also banned any sports team logos, jerseys, pins or jewelry, including any Super Bowl championship rings that may be worn by Broncos players or staff.

"I'm trying very hard to not make this a circus," Habas said.

Sidenote - one of the ladies on KDVR Fox was talking about the trial, and she said the security that will be required at the trial will by far, exceed any she has ever seen.

T.K.O.
01-15-2010, 09:12 PM
hang em' high:salute:

KyleOrtonArmySoldier#128
01-15-2010, 10:24 PM
Throw his bitch ass under the ******* jail.

Overtime
01-16-2010, 02:05 AM
nail that sob to the wall, and then throw him in a cell with bubba.

3 years this ******* bullshit's been going on and we're just now getting to the trial???

i hope once they convict this sonuvabitch it'll be the closure this team needs to get back on the winning track, and that this will be some motivation for them to go out and play to honor Darrent Williams next year.

we need closure so we can move on.

Broncolingus
01-16-2010, 03:41 AM
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tXq_eZAWAXo/RdLoyWbLWtI/AAAAAAAAAKA/dyk6F06NNSc/s320/needle_1.JPG

Nuf said...

Denver Native (Carol)
02-17-2010, 05:38 PM
http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2010/02/17/marshall-dumervil-other-broncos-could-testify-in-murder-trial/

DENVER — Current Broncos stars Brandon Marshall, Elvis Dumervil and DJ Williams are on the defense’s list of potential witnesses in the murder trial of Willie Clark, the man accussed of murdering Bronco Darrent Williams on Jan. 1, 2007.

Jury selection for Clark’s trial will begin later this week, with the trial expected to start Tuesday. The trial is expected to last at least two weeks.

Other potential defense witnesses with ties to the Broncos are Javon Walker, Karl Paymah, Nate Webster and Demetrin Veal, all former Broncos who were Broncos in 2006. There are 63 people on the list of potential witnesses provided to the court by defense attorney Abraham Hutt last month.

The Broncos played their final game of the season — a loss to San Francisco on Dec. 31 — and a number of players attended a party that night. Clark is accused of firing shots into the limo that was carrying Williams and others, including Walker, after leaving the club.

KyleOrtonArmySoldier#128
02-17-2010, 05:57 PM
http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn257/liljuede3/darrentwilliams.jpg

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd164/spbyelena/DARRENTWILLIAMS1.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn257/liljuede3/dw27.jpg

Dean
02-17-2010, 06:57 PM
hang em' high:salute:

If found guilty and it sounds like a done deal, then amen!

Denver Native (Carol)
02-20-2010, 10:26 AM
After reading this article, it BLOWS MY MIND to see how the justice system FAVORS, in this case, CLARK:mad:

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14437728

A Denver District Court judge declined to dismiss the murder case against Willie D. Clark on Friday but sanctioned prosecutors for not turning over evidence to the defense in a timely manner.

Clark, 26, is charged in the New Year's Day 2007 killing of Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams.

The drive-by occurred on West 11th Avenue and Speer Boulevard after an altercation that occurred outside the Shelter nightclub.

Last week, Clark's defense team filed a motion to dismiss the case because Denver police did not turn over video until Feb. 4 that shows images from inside the nightclub before the altercation.

The defense received the tape just 15 days before jury selection, and the police have had it since January 2007.

As a sanction, prosecutors will not be allowed to use the videotape evidence during their case against Clark, Judge Christina Habas ruled.

In turn, the defense may use the evidence as they see fit and, if prosecutors want to challenge it, they must seek permission from the judge.

Clark's attorneys also said that for months, Detective Michael Martinez withheld his "brown file" containing information about nine new witnesses in the case, including material the defense could use to impeach witnesses who are set to testify against Clark.

A brown file is a detective's working file and sometimes contains information a detective does not think is relevant to the investigation.

Prosecutor Tim Twining contends that an offer was made to the defense to view Martinez's file, but scheduling problems occurred. Twining also said any delays in turning over evidence were not in bad faith.

Habas said she was concerned that Martinez canceled three meetings with the defense to view the brown file.

"That is kind of troubling," she said. "That bothers me."

But the judge said she does not think there is a "pattern" of disclosure problems by police and said the size and nature of the case may have contributed to discovery delays.

During Friday's hearing, Clark's attorneys told Habas more evidence was withheld for months, including a firearms examination report from the Denver crime lab, grand-jury testimony of a prosecution witness, and a summary of a wiretapped phone call between two major prosecution witnesses, one of whom is expected to testify that Clark was the shooter.

Habas asked both sides to let her review the evidence in question so she can decide whether prosecutors will be barred from using it at trial.

The judge will seat 12 jurors and six alternates. Opening statements are expected Tuesday morning.

Broncolingus
02-20-2010, 02:14 PM
Fry 'em...

Dean
02-20-2010, 11:45 PM
I think that Colorado uses lethal injection. It seems almost too humane.

Lonestar
02-21-2010, 12:21 AM
they used to have old sparky down in Canon City. When they lit it off, half of Pue town would go dark. :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

Denver Native (Carol)
02-21-2010, 08:34 AM
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14442039

In one part of the The Shelter nightclub on Denver's Broadway, a group of men described by police as crack-cocaine-dealing gangsters was celebrating the new year at "Safari" night.

Just feet away — but worlds away in wealth, fame and demeanor — a group of Denver Broncos players were wishing Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin happy birthday.

Moments later, the two groups would clash, and before sunrise on the first day of 2007, Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams was dead from gunshots fired into a limousine.

That early-morning confrontation deprived two children of their father, a mother of her only child and altered the course of an NFL franchise.

"It's been so lonely without him," Rosalind Williams said last week.

Starting as soon as Tuesday, prosecutors will finally be ready to try to convince a Denver jury that the fatal shot was fired by Willie D. Clark, whom police describe as a soldier in Denver's Tre Tre Crips gang. Court records indicate witnesses will say Clark was manhandled by someone with the Broncos party, felt disrespected and might have sought revenge.

"Shortly after this altercation, another witness reported that he/she was in the area near the Safari Club, and that he/she encountered Clark where Clark asked this witness' friend for a 'heater,' which he/she understood to be Clark's request for a handgun," according to the grand jury's indictment of Clark.

"At approximately this same time, Clark was also seen by a different witness who reported that he/she saw Clark in a white Sports Utility Vehicle, described by the witness as a Chevy Tahoe or Blazer."

The defense, however, appears ready to say Clark was nowhere near the Williams limousine when the shots were fired.

Which version to believe?

To decide the case, jurors will have to choose a credible version of events from accounts told under oath by both millionaire sports heroes with pristine pasts and street thugs with long criminal records. The star eyewitness may be a gangster with a deal pending with prosecutors to avoid life in prison.

Clark, 26, is charged with first-degree murder, 16 counts of attempted murder, two counts of second-degree assault, illegal discharge of a firearm and other crimes that could land him in prison for the rest of his life.

Clark has told The Denver Post he did not kill Williams but declined to discuss what he was doing at the time of the shooting because he did not want to reveal his trial strategy.

"At the time the police reports indicate the victims were shot, Willie Clark was driving his black Tahoe in downtown Denver in the vicinity of 18th Avenue and Glenarm," Clark's attorney, Abraham Hutt, wrote in court records.

Fateful argument breaks out

Court documents provide only snapshots of the events that led up to the New Year's Day homicide.

Shortly before the club closed at 1:30 a.m., an argument between the two groups began — the cause has never been revealed — and spilled outside to the sidewalk at 10th Avenue and Broadway at closing time.

As Clark stood near a rented limousine and continued arguing, a man grabbed Clark by the head.

Moments later, Williams and 16 friends got into a Hummer limousine and drove away. A witness is expected to testify that Clark asked for the gun and then got behind the wheel of the Tahoe.

On Speer Boulevard at West 11th Avenue, at least 15 shots from two guns were fired at the limo from a passing white Tahoe.

One of the bullets struck Williams in the neck. He slumped over and died in teammate Javon Walker's arms.

Two passengers in the limo, Nicole Reindl and Brandon Flowers, were wounded.

Clark was indicted by a Denver grand jury in October 2008, five months after an inmate housed with Clark in federal custody leaked a letter to the Rocky Mountain News reportedly written by Clark confessing he was the shooter.

The newspaper published the letter and had it analyzed by a handwriting expert who concluded Clark wrote it.

Documents show an "associate of Clark" who was inside the white Tahoe told police that Clark was driving and was the only person inside the SUV who was shooting at the limousine.

Daniel "Ponytail" Harris, who accompanied Clark to The Shelter that night, has not been publicly identified as that witness.

But if he is called to testify by prosecutors, the defense plans a vigorous cross-examination because they believe Harris struck a deal with federal prosecutors in his crack-cocaine-trafficking case in exchange for his testimony against Clark.

Harris was riding in the white Tahoe when the shooting happened, and because two different guns were used, the defense could raise the possibility that Harris was shooting.

After the homicide, Harris left Denver and boarded a plane to Cancun, Mexico. Harris returned to Denver six months later after learning he had been charged in a federal drug case.

Two other men who prosecutors say were in the Tahoe that night, Kataina "Markie" Jackson-Keeling and Mario Anderson, were indicted on perjury charges, accused of lying to a grand jury investigating the homicide. They await trial on those charges.

Jackson-Keeling and Anderson denied knowledge of the crime and told detectives they did not want to talk or they would be killed.

Williams' mother said she wasn't sure whether she will travel from her home in Fort Worth, Texas, to attend Clark's trial.

"I don't know yet; I have not made up my mind," she said. "It's just rehashing everything."

Denver Native (Carol)
02-21-2010, 08:47 AM
http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_14441207

Raise your right hand, Brandon Marshall.

Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

Because, so help me God, as Marshall prepares to take the witness stand in the Darrent Williams murder trial, I believe we are confronting what has been an unspoken, but monumental, reason why the great receiver has long been uncomfortable playing in Denver.

Marshall stated last fall that his disenchantment with playing for the Broncos wasn't about owner Pat Bowlen not giving him a robust contract, and I believe him. Marshall wants money, sure, but he'd rather get his paycheck from somewhere else.

Marshall also said during Super Bowl week that he has no personal misgivings about Broncos coach Josh McDaniels, and again, I believe him. It's true, Marshall didn't care for the way McDaniels publicly called him out at season's end, but the former Central Florida star has survived far greater punishment.

"I come from the George O'Leary methods in college," Marshall said. "And it doesn't get any tougher than that."

Used to getting yelled at, then?

"Not just yelled at — degraded," Marshall said. "You do something wrong, 'Hey, bear crawl 200 yards. Wake up at 5 in the morning and do this.' "

Does that mean McDaniels isn't a monster?

"No, Josh isn't a monster," Marshall said. "Josh is actually easy to talk to, easy to work with."

A deeper truth about Marshall, though, is he has been left emotionally scarred by Williams' murder in the wee hours of Jan. 1, 2007. Marshall was with Williams minutes before his Broncos teammate and good friend died almost instantly from a bullet wound to the neck.

Preceding the shooting, police say there was an altercation outside The Shelter, a Broadway nightclub that was hosting a Kenyon Martin birthday-New Year's celebration that was attended by Williams and Marshall, among other former and current Broncos.

Marshall allegedly was involved in the fracas, which is why he is expected to testify during the next two weeks at the trial of gang member Willie Clark, who is charged with premeditated murder, among many other alleged crimes, in Williams' death.

I have never spoken to Marshall about that tragic night of Dec. 31, 2006-Jan. 1, 2007. I have spoken to several people close to Marshall, and they all say Williams' murder continues to torment him.

Besides lasting grief, he has endured guilt, even though he wasn't in Williams' limousine that had driven away just a few short blocks from the nightclub when it became riddled with bullets. The killing left Marshall frightened, which may explain why he has never spoken about that night publicly, at least not knowingly.

It wasn't until Marshall was allegedly fortified with 0.116 of truth serum while driving impaired on Oct. 22, 2007, that he revealed what may have been his deepest sentiments.

"I hate Denver," Marshall said, as written by the arresting officer in the police report.

"I hope I get traded. I hate this (bleeping) city."

Marshall has proved he doesn't really hate Denver. He has repeatedly said he loves the fans who have supported him through his capricious time here. A few lines down in that police report, though, came what may have been the root of all his fury.

"Why aren't you guys looking for Williams' killer?" Marshall told the officer.

Marshall later pled guilty to driving while impaired and received a year's probation that has since expired.

Receptions and trouble define Marshall's exhilarating and exasperating four-year term with the Broncos.

But he deserves credit for the admirable way he handled the murder of his friend. We all knew about his past problems with a former girlfriend.

He has never let us understand how arguably the worst moment in Broncos history has affected him.

Marshall has produced since Williams' death, posting three consecutive seasons of at least 100 catches. But Denver will forever carry a haunting memory. It's an under- stated, but not underrated, reason why Marshall would like to move on.

His final task in Denver may well come not from a football field but from a witness stand. You can't make this stuff up.

Lonestar
02-21-2010, 10:56 AM
Let's hope his testimony will be a prime reason this thug gets the needle and because of it we get at least a 1 and 3 for him so he can move on with his life.


Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel.

Nomad
02-21-2010, 12:05 PM
Wasn't Marshall one of the reasons the whole incident went down?? he should have to suffer with the guilt!!

Denver Native (Carol)
02-21-2010, 12:48 PM
Let's hope his testimony will be a prime reason this thug gets the needle and because of it we get at least a 1 and 3 for him so he can move on with his life.


Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel.

I will agree with you on - yes, let's hope Brandon's, plus others' testimony, will result in Clark getting what he deserves.

However, I want Brandon to stay here - and I do not believe Brandon changing cities will erase what happened from his mind. If this article is true, Brandon needs counseling to help him deal with it - it is something that he can NOT run away from.

T.K.O.
02-21-2010, 01:10 PM
i dont pretend to know whats best for marshall on this matter,but if he did work through the guilt and grief . it would honor D-Will's memory more if he stayed here and tore up the league his entire career and retired a bronco !
r.i.p. #27:salute:



p.s. they should hook "little willie" to some jumper cables and a semi !

Denver Native (Carol)
02-21-2010, 01:28 PM
Wasn't Marshall one of the reasons the whole incident went down?? he should have to suffer with the guilt!!

If I understand correctly, Brandon was spraying champagne around the club. I really do not look at that for the reason someone felt he could shoot/kill someone. Where I sat at Mile High Stadium, for a few years, there was an older gentlemen who sat behind me, and he drank one beer after the other - AND I either ended up with beer on my clothes, sat there with my shoes in beer from him knocking over his beer, etc. Soooo - does that mean that I should have pulled out a gun and shot him - I think not. If Brandon would have pulled a gun on someone, threatened someone - possibly it could be contributed to starting something - but spraying champagne - NO.

GEM
02-21-2010, 01:54 PM
I was listening to Oren LaMenta on 950 The Fan this morning. He was talking how that one night changed our franchise. If we would have just won that game most of those guys wouldn't have been out that night. How if Darrent were still with us, how it would have changed the moves we made. I know we can't change anything, but it definitely is interesting to think about.

Nomad
02-21-2010, 02:12 PM
If I understand correctly, Brandon was spraying champagne around the club. I really do not look at that for the reason someone felt he could shoot/kill someone. Where I sat at Mile High Stadium, for a few years, there was an older gentlemen who sat behind me, and he drank one beer after the other - AND I either ended up with beer on my clothes, sat there with my shoes in beer from him knocking over his beer, etc. Soooo - does that mean that I should have pulled out a gun and shot him - I think not. If Brandon would have pulled a gun on someone, threatened someone - possibly it could be contributed to starting something - but spraying champagne - NO.

It was more of a question Carol. I didn't know the whole story but I remember you being so up to date on the DW story at BM!! No, doing what Marshall did doesn't warrant what happened to DW. It was my understanding (obviously I don't know) that Marshall and another picked a fight with the thugs and it went from there!! I stand corrected!!:)

Lonestar
02-21-2010, 03:26 PM
Wasn't Marshall one of the reasons the whole incident went down?? he should have to suffer with the guilt!!

I agree with this statement.


I will agree with you on - yes, let's hope Brandon's, plus others' testimony, will result in Clark getting what he deserves.

However, I want Brandon to stay here - and I do not believe Brandon changing cities will erase what happened from his mind. If this article is true, Brandon needs counseling to help him deal with it - it is something that he can NOT run away from.


Your correct he needs treatment , but I'd rather that and his huge contract be somewhere else until he it mentally right.


If I understand correctly, Brandon was spraying champagne around the club. I really do not look at that for the reason someone felt he could shoot/kill someone. Where I sat at Mile High Stadium, for a few years, there was an older gentlemen who sat behind me, and he drank one beer after the other - AND I either ended up with beer on my clothes, sat there with my shoes in beer from him knocking over his beer, etc. Soooo - does that mean that I should have pulled out a gun and shot him - I think not. If Brandon would have pulled a gun on someone, threatened someone - possibly it could be contributed to starting something - but spraying champagne - NO.

Him spraying gang bangers and your drunk are two entirely different situations. Gang bangers are not rational folks they could give a rats rectum about good, they see everything from between their gonads.

What happened was indeed dumb but your correct it does not justify murder and I do not think anyone has stated it did.

Just have to wonder if he and his cousin had not sprayed the drink around the room, would it have happened. Or was it something else that pissed this punk off. rich guys sucking up all the women and partying maybe some one hit on the gang bangers ladies. but the champagne did not help matters.

I still say if they are offered a 1 and 3 for him let him be someone elses headache

Denver Native (Carol)
02-21-2010, 03:38 PM
Him spraying gang bangers and your drunk are two entirely different situations. Gang bangers are not rational folks they could give a rats rectum about good, they see everything from between their gonads.

What happened was indeed dumb but your correct it does not justify murder and I do not think anyone has stated it did.

Just have to wonder if he and his cousin had not sprayed the drink around the room, would it have happened. Or was it something else that pissed this punk off. rich guys sucking up all the women and partying maybe some one hit on the gang bangers ladies. but the champagne did not help matters.

I still say if they are offered a 1 and 3 for him let him be someone elses headache

So, in a crowded bar, on New Year's Eve, you need to walk around the room and ask each person there if they are a gang banger??? It could have been at 12:00 that they sprayed the champagne - just their way to ring in the New Year.

Lonestar
02-21-2010, 04:02 PM
So, in a crowded bar, on New Year's Eve, you need to walk around the room and ask each person there if they are a gang banger??? It could have been at 12:00 that they sprayed the champagne - just their way to ring in the New Year.

Carol I realize we are from a different Generation but I assure you it does not take a mensa candidate to know who the gang bangers are in a bar.


He was reckless in doing what he did, from the reports I recall this was not just the only reason, him and his cousin were talking crap also.

It DID NOT justify MURDER, but sometimes common sense or maturity is called for. Something this kid has yet to figure out.


Let him do it on someone else's dime and serve the suspensions he will inevitably get there.

I have been saying since last spring I'll take a #1 OBO, for him in a heart beat for those very reasons, he is a police report away from 8 games vacation.

Now if some one wants to give him big money and us a #1 and a #3 I wish him well except for those games that affect us.

broncobryce
02-21-2010, 04:09 PM
Brandon might still fear for his life in Denver. Especially since he was heavily involved, and now he is testifying (snitching). He might fear they are still out there waiting for him to slip. So I guess I don't necessarily blame him for wanting out, if that's the reason.

Lonestar
02-21-2010, 04:14 PM
Brandon might still fear for his life in Denver. Especially since he was heavily involved, and now he is testifying (snitching). He might fear they are still out there waiting for him to slip. So I guess I don't necessarily blame him for wanting out, if that's the reason.

If these punks want him they will find him, Druggies have money to burn and
will spend it IF their empire is threatened.

rationalfan
02-21-2010, 05:52 PM
this is the saddest, most infuriating thread I've read on this board.

while i realize this is a football discussion board. and i realize it's easy to hide behind anonymity to make outrageous remarks, the takeaway from this topic shouldn't be how this trial and/or marshall's role in it benefits the broncos. it should be how do we (we, members of humanity, not football fans) react to a tragedy that's still very sensitive to many of us.

rather that screaming "an eye for an eye" as a desire to retribution of Dwill's murder, why not remember forgiveness? though i never spoke to him or even found myself in the same room with him, i guarantee you Dwill wouldn't be asking for death to avenge his own death. he'd be encouraging people to work toward sharing hope and peace with gang members, the downtrodden, the unfortunate. reacting with hatred doesn't absolve hatred. and stereotyping gang bangers doesn't nullify the indifference between people.

perhaps this will put it in perspective, many of the professional athletes you cheer for came from gang-ridden neighborhoods. if they weren't wearing a team's jersey on sundays, would care about them? or would you simply disregard them as thugs?

perspective. it's all about perspective.

GEM
02-21-2010, 11:47 PM
So, in a crowded bar, on New Year's Eve, you need to walk around the room and ask each person there if they are a gang banger??? It could have been at 12:00 that they sprayed the champagne - just their way to ring in the New Year.

If the crowd in the bar looks like a bunch of gang bangers you do need to be a bit more careful as to your own behavior. Gang bangers aren't too hard to pick from a crowd. Not saying it's right, but you do need to be aware of your surroundings and who is in the groups surrounding you. At the same time, they should have had the bar shut down for a private party or more security.

Hell, the group of gang bangers very well could have shown up for the very purpose of starting trouble with the athletes. The party was advertised as Kenyon Martin's birthday to the public.

Denver Native (Carol)
02-22-2010, 09:47 PM
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14450766

Ten men and eight women of diverse age, race and ethnicity were picked to serve as jurors for the two-week trial of Willie D. Clark in the killing of Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams. Six of them will be alternates.

Opening statements are expected to begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday in Judge Christina M. Habas' courtroom.

During questioning of prospective jurors, prosecutor Tim Twining asked if they could accept testimony from witnesses with nefarious backgrounds or people who were offered plea deals in exchange for their testimony.

Clark's lawyers wanted to know if jurors believed that witnesses could come into court and lie on the stand especially if they were offered deals in their own criminal cases. They also wanted to know if jurors believe it's possible that people are wrongly convicted or that police officers don't always do a thorough job.

Defense lawyer Darren Cantor also questioned jurors about what impact sitting on a high-profile trial involving the death of an NFL player would have on their lives.

"Would it be hard to go back to your neighborhood and tell people you couldn't find Willie Clark guilty?" Cantor asked. "Would that be hard for you?"

Throughout the day-long questioning, Clark appeared to take detailed notes at the defense table.

Most jurors answered they could be fair to both sides and understood they would have to judge whether witnesses were credible or if police felt pressure to solve the crime.

The jury will decide if Clark killed Williams early New Year's Day 2007. He is charged with first-degree murder, 16 counts of attempted murder, two counts of second-degree assault, illegal discharge of a firearm and other crimes that could land him in prison for the rest of his life.

Williams was riding in a stretch Hummer limousine near 11th Avenue and Speer Boulevard when a single bullet struck him in the neck. He slumped over into teammate Javon Walker's arms and died.

Two others riding in the limousine, Brandon Flowers and Nicole Reindl, were wounded.

The shooting followed an argument that occurred outside The Shelter nightclub on 10th and Broadway at closing time. Several professional athletes may be called to testify.

Denver Native (Carol)
02-23-2010, 01:12 PM
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14454701

"Prosecutor Bruce Levin told a jury that defendant Willie Clark acted with "an attitude of universal malice" when shooting and killing Bronco Darrent Williams on Jan. 1, 2007.

Levin detailed the prosecution's case in a lengthy opening statement as Clark's murder trial got underway this morning in Denver District Court.

Levin told the jury, which was selected Monday, that evidence and witness testimony will prove that Clark fired the bullet that hit Williams in the left side of the neck.

Among the witnesses Levin said will testify is current Broncos star Brandon Marshall. Levin said Marshall and his cousin were involved in multiple verbal and physical confrontations with Clark and Clark's associates at and after a New Years Eve party.

The defense has previously said Clark was nowhere near the limousine in which Williams was riding when he was shot. Clark's attorney will offer an opening statement soon."

A few minutes ago on the Ch7 news, they stated that the Prosecutor also stated in his opening argument that "it is in the creed for the Crips, that is they feel someone has disrespected them, they have the right to kill" :tsk:

Denver Native (Carol)
02-23-2010, 02:12 PM
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14454701

11:15 A.M.

Willie Clark's attorney Darren Cantor began his defense Tuesday morning by saying that Clark has been, "made a scapegoat" and that Clark was not present when Williams was shot.

Cantor, in the defense's opening statement, told the jury that many of the prosecution's key witnesses are not trustworthy because they have been given plea deals in exchange for their testimony.

"The prosecution's evidence relies on people who were in jail," Cantor said.

Central to the defense's case will be the testimony of Daniel Harris, Cantor said. The prosecution said Harris, who goes by the nickname "Ponytail" or "PT" was in the SUV driven by Clark.

"You know one of the questions in this case that will never be in doubt at any point is there are two guns," Cantor said. "When (Harris) talked to the police, the story he sold to them in the first place was one gun."

T.K.O.
02-23-2010, 02:45 PM
and thats the kind of shiz that gets people "off" on a technicality:mad:

Denver Native (Carol)
02-23-2010, 05:01 PM
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14454701

2:45 PMThe prosecution called its second witness, Denver Police homicide detective Michael Martinez, at approximately 2:30 p.m..

Martinez was the on-call detective the day of the shooting, but he testified that most of the detectives in his department ended up working on the case because of "who the victim was."

Prosecutor Bruce Levin asked Martinez to clarify if that because the victim, Williams, was a famous football player, the case was handled differently than a normal case.

"It got a lot more attention, yes," Martinez said. "From our unit and from media."

2:15 PM A friend of Bronco Darrent Williams testified this afternoon that the cousin of Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall was one of two aggressors in a verbal confrontation that escalated into shots being fired and Williams death.

John Sheppard said he was visiting Williams from Fort Worth, Tex. on New Year's Eve, and was with Williams at The Shelter nightclub's "Safari Night."

Sheppard, the prosecution's first witness, testified about what happened in the third-level VIP area of the nightclub, where Williams and his friends were celebrating. That group included current Bronco Brandon Marshall, and Marshall's cousin, Blair Clark.

Sheppard said that Blair Clark shook and sprayed a bottle of champagne over the crowd at midnight, which started a confrontation between Clark and another man, whom Sheppard did not name.

"He was like, 'What's up with this (stuff) man," Sheppard said.

Sheppard said Williams tried to diffuse the situation.

"Darrent approached him and said it was nothing like that, we was just partying," Sheppard said.

As a verbal confrontation escalated and spilled outside, Williams was trying to get the Broncos, including Javon Walker, into a limousine.

"Darrent hops in the limo and then looks out the back window and sees his teammates out there. He doesn't want to just leave them out there like that," Sheppard said. "He was trying to break them up 'You all are tripping, lets go home.' They still won't quit arguing. He was like, 'Forget it, whoever is riding with me, we're leaving."

Walker, who was on the team in 2006, and several of his female acquaintances were among the last people to join Williams' party in the limo before it left.

Several minutes later, Sheppard said, is when the limo came under fire.

"I hit the deck after the sixth or seventh shot," Sheppard said.

It wasn't until after the limo came to a stop after hopping a curb on Speer Boulevard and the unharmed passengers had climbed out that Sheppard realized Williams had been shot. Sheppard said he remembered seeing former Bronco Javon Walker with Williams.

"Javon picked him up, he was like, 'Don't die on me. Don't die on me.' But D wasn't saying nothing," Sheppard said. "He was holding him like he was a baby."

Sheppard said police arrived quickly and took the uninjured passengers from the limo to the police station while Williams and the two other victims were taken to the hospital.

1:27 PM The prosecution called its first witness, John Sheppard, a lifelong friend of Bronco Darrent Williams, when court resumed just after 1 p.m.

Sheppard was visiting Williams from Fort Worth, Tex., and was with Williams at The Shelter nightclub's "Safari Night" with Williams on New Years Eve.

Sheppard testified about what happened in the third-level VIP area of the nightclub, where Williams and his friends were celebrating. That group included current Bronco Brandon Marshall, and Marshall's cousin, Blair Clark.

Sheppard said that Blair Clark shook and sprayed a bottle of champagne over the crowd at midnight, which started a confrontation between Blair Clark and another man, whom Sheppard did not name.

"He was like, 'What's up with this (deleted) man," Sheppard said.

Sheppard said Williams tried to diffuse the situation.

"Darrent approached him and said it was nothing like that, we was just partying," Sheppard said.

11:15 A.M. Willie Clark's attorney Darren Cantor began his defense Tuesday morning by saying that Clark has been, "made a scapegoat" and that Clark was not present when Williams was shot.

Cantor, in the defense's opening statement, told the jury that many of the prosecution's key witnesses are not trustworthy because they have been given plea deals in exchange for their testimony.

"The prosecution's evidence relies on people who were in jail," Cantor said.

Central to the defense's case will be the testimony of Daniel Harris, Cantor said. The prosecution said Harris, who goes by the nickname "Ponytail" or "PT" was in the SUV driven by Clark.

"You know one of the questions in this case that will never be in doubt at any point is there are two guns," Cantor said. "When (Harris) talked to the police, the story he sold to them in the first place was one gun."

10:29 A.M. Prosecutor Bruce Levin told a jury that defendant Willie Clark acted with "an attitude of universal malice" when shooting and killing Bronco Darrent Williams on Jan. 1, 2007.

Levin detailed the prosecution's case in a lengthy opening statement as Clark's murder trial got underway this morning in Denver District Court.

Levin told the jury, which was selected Monday, that evidence and witness testimony will prove that Clark fired the bullet that hit Williams in the left side of the neck.

Among the witnesses Levin said will testify is current Broncos star Brandon Marshall. Levin said Marshall and his cousin were involved in multiple verbal and physical confrontations with Clark and Clark's associates at and after a New Years Eve party.

The defense has previously said Clark was nowhere near the limousine in which Williams was riding when he was shot. Clark's attorney will offer an opening statement soon.

Denver Native (Carol)
02-24-2010, 02:12 PM
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14461314

Willie D. Clark, 26, is on trial in the death of Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams early New Year's Day 2007. Williams was riding in a stretch Hummer limousine near 11th Avenue and Speer Boulevard when a single bullet struck him in the neck.

Clark is charged with first-degree murder, 16 counts of attempted murder, two counts of second-degree assault, illegal discharge of a firearm and other crimes that could land him in prison for the rest of his life.

Clark's trial started Tuesday; The Denver Post is blogging live from the proceedings.

11:15 AM The judge ordered two men to jail after they refused to testify this morning.

Kataina "Markie" Jackson-Keeling, and Mario Anderson, allegedly were in a car from which shots were fired killing the Broncos cornerback and wounding others who rode with him in a stretch limo early New Years Day, 2007. Police have identified the men as gang members who were in the Tre Tre Crips with Clark.

Williams and Keeling were indicted in September on charges of perjury and attempting to influence a public servant after police and prosecutors said they lied to both investigators and a grand jury. Each has posted $50,000 bail.

After hearing from the first witness of the day, Judge Christina Habas asked each if they would testify. When they replied no, she found them in contempt of court and ordered them to jail.

She said they would come back to court each day of the trial and she would ask them if they would comply with the order. If they refuse, they will go back to jail.

The second day of the trial began when Tyisha Finch, 25, testified that she went to The Shelter night club on Broadway in Denver with her father, his girlfriend, her younger sister and her sister's friend Raven Dennis to dance and celebrate. The evening slid downhill when she was punched in the face and ended when she witnessed a string of fights that led to the shooting death of Broncos corner back Darrent Williams.

Sometime after they arrived at the club, Finch and her sister were walking in a narrow hallway leading to a second floor bar when a man dropped a cell phone. Her sister got on the floor helping the man to look for the phone.

A crowd of people backed up behind them and one insisted on getting through. Finch blocked him, telling him that her sister was on the floor and he was "not going to touch my little sister."

The man, who was wearing sun glasses, identified himself and two or three friends as Georgia boys, saying "we Georgia boys, we don't care."

Finch and the man exchanged words and the man punched her in the face. "My dad grabbed him and pinned his a-- on the wall," she said.

Later in the night he "strongly apologized," and said, "I know you a female, you came at me hard."

When the club let out, she said, there were a string of fights outside.

9:07 a.m. Willie D. Clark's trial was delayed this morning as two accused perjurers discussed immunity issues with the judge and their attorneys.

Kataina "Markie" Jackson-Keeling, and Mario Anderson, were indicted in September on charges of perjury and attempting to influence a public servant.

Each man has posted $50,000 bail.

Judge Christina Habas spoke with the two, who are scheduled to take the stand today, earlier this morning. She delayed the hearing, which was supposed to begin at 8:30 a.m., said Lynn Kimbrough, a spokeswoman with the Denver district attorney's Office. They then spoke with their attorneys.

Denver Native (Carol)
02-24-2010, 02:15 PM
And WHY do they not want to testify - first, I would think it is BECAUSE what they would have to say could help put Clark away - BUT, also, if that is what they do say, they KNOW they are DEAD.

That is what bothers me about Brandon, Elvis, D.J. testifying - there are many Crips out there, and the the players would be a target for them.

nevcraw
02-25-2010, 01:25 PM
Prosecution witness in Clark trial admits she was drunk, high
By Felisa Cardona
The Denver Post
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_14466327

The first witness who can place Willie Clark inside the white Chevrolet Tahoe used in the drive-by shooting of Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams admitted she was drunk and high on New Year's Eve 2006.

Raven Dennis, who testified she is sure that a man wearing big sunglasses was sitting in the front passenger seat, had difficulty remembering additional details of the night because she had eight to nine shots of gin within a two-hour period and smoked marijuana.

Two other witnesses prosecutors subpoenaed to testify Wednesday in Clark's trial refused and were held in contempt of court.

Mario Anderson and Kataina "Markie" Jackson-Keeling, already indicted on perjury charges and accused by prosecutors of lying to a Denver grand jury about the events of that night, were handcuffed in the courtroom and taken to jail by sheriff's deputies.

"At this time I have no choice other than to find you both in direct contempt," Judge Christina M. Habas said. "I have given you both a lawful order. I am ordering you both be remanded immediately in Denver County Jail unless and until you decide to testify and comply with my order."

An indictment says Anderson and Jackson-Keeling were passengers in the Tahoe during the shooting and they refused to talk to police because they fear for their lives. Their attorneys told the judge they told the truth to grand jurors.

Habas may hold them in jail until they decide to testify and can also jail them after the trial if she deems it necessary. Prosecutors also may file charges against the men, and they could be imprisoned for up to six months if they are convicted of contempt. Habas said she intends to bring Anderson and Jackson-Keeling to court each morning of the trial to ask them whether they have changed their minds.

The credibility of witnesses is a central issue in the trial. Defense lawyers for Clark have told the jury that witnesses cannot be relied on because of their criminal backgrounds and plea deals they have made with prosecutors in exchange for their testimony against Clark.

Clark, 26, is charged with first-degree murder, 16 counts of attempted murder and other criminal counts that could land him in prison for life.

At least 15 shots were fired into Williams' limousine carrying 16 other people. Two other victims were wounded by gunfire.

Dennis and the woman she calls her wife, Tyisha Finch, told jurors they were celebrating New Year's Eve at the club when a man wearing sunglasses punched Finch in the face because she bumped him into the crowd.

Prosecutors contend the man wearing those sunglasses was Clark.

Finch testified that the man apologized to her after he hit her because he mistook her for a guy and said he wasn't raised to hit women.

Later that night, Dennis testified, a "tall, big guy" who may have been an athlete put his hands down the back of her pants and she started fighting with him.

Clark's attorney, Abraham Hutt, asked Dennis whether the person who assaulted her was Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

"Do you remember telling Detective (Michael) Martinez that the guy who groped you was Brandon Marshall?" Hutt asked.

"I don't know who these sports people are," Dennis said. "I didn't know who it was. I couldn't even tell you what Brandon Marshall looks like today."
Dennis said the man with the big sunglasses who hit Finch earlier in the club pretended to have a weapon and threatened the tall guy who assaulted her. She said the two men began fighting by Williams' rented limousine outside the club, but she told an inconsistent story to detectives, saying that another person wearing an orange shirt was fighting with the tall man who put his hands in her pants.

She said after the altercation near the limo, she saw the Tahoe parked about 15 feet behind the stretch Hummer.

"I saw the guy with the big glasses, the guy who had earlier punched Tyisha, and he was in the passenger seat because the window was rolled down," she said.

Felisa Cardona: 303-954-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com

SOCALORADO.
02-25-2010, 04:17 PM
Prosecutors say Dumervil secretly recorded phone call after Williams murder
Posted by Mike Florio on February 25, 2010 3:33 PM ET
Possibly taking a cue from his former coach's propensity to use a polygraph, Broncos linebacker Elvis Dumervil secretly recorded a telephone conversation with a key witness in the Darrent Williams murder case.

And his decision to make the tape could end up providing a key link in the chain of evidence that delivers a conviction of Willie Clark.

The revelation was made today by prosecutors who were questioning Shaniqua Dunn, according to 9news.com in Denver, the local NBC affiliate. Dunn said that she could not recall what she had previously told authorities. So then she was reminded of things she said to Dumervil during the conversation he recorded.

In the conversation, Dunn said she overheard defensive Willie Clark ask Dunn's boyfriend at the time for a "burner."

Though the out-of-court statement technically is hearsay, Dunn's testimony regarding her failure of memory undoubtedly allowed the tape to be used.

Per the Denver Post, Dumervil later testified regarding the making of the tape.

"[Dunn] called me and started talking about it," Dumervil said. "It was obviously fresh, so what she said could be valuable so I just started recording it. In the long run it could help some way, some how."

And it has indeed helped. But not from Clark's perspective.

UPDATE: Some of you have asked whether Dumervil's taping of the call potentially violates the law. Assuming the call was placed and received in Colorado, the call may be recorded if one party to the conversation consents. Some states require both parties to consent. Here's a link to the state-by-state laws on this point.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/02/25/prosecutors-say-dumervil-secretly-recorded-phone-call-after-williams-murder/

And some of you want to let DOOM walk, shame on you.
Not only does he have skillz on the field, but he also has recording know how?!? Pfft, lock him up!

Denver Native (Carol)
02-25-2010, 05:21 PM
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14469424

Willie D. Clark, 26, is on trial in the death of Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams early New Year's Day 2007. Williams was riding in a stretch Hummer limousine near 11th Avenue and Speer Boulevard when a single bullet struck him in the neck.

Clark is charged with first-degree murder, 16 counts of attempted murder, two counts of second-degree assault, illegal discharge of a firearm and other crimes that could land him in prison for the rest of his life.

Clark's trial started Tuesday; The Denver Post is blogging live from the proceedings.

2:30 When court resumed after a break, jurors watched a video deposition from witness Ian Aneloski, who was celebrating New Year's at a bar called The Garage near the intersection of Speer and 11th.

Aneloski testified he heard gunshots and saw an SUV Aneloski said it looked like a Suburban speed off, headed north on Speer. Aneloski said he had no doubt the shots had been fired into the Hummer limo from the SUV.

Under cross-examination, Aneloski testified he had consumed between six to eight drinks that night and that he did not see any shots fired.

1 p.m.

Dumervil finished his testimony at approximately 1 p.m. Court will resume around 2 p.m. with more testimony from prosecution witnesses.

12:45 p.m.

In Dumervil's testimony, he said that Dunn called him on Jan. 1, 2007, and he recorded and saved their conversation.

When Dumervil met with Denver police detectives two days later, on Jan. 3, 2007, he gave them the recording.

"She called me and started talking about it. It was obviously fresh, so what she said could be valuable so I just started recording it," Dumervil said. "In the long run it could help some way, some how."

In the call, Dunn told Dumervil details about the people who were there and what she remembered happening outside the club, including that she saw a white Tahoe and that she knew who was driving it.

Prosecutors have said that Willie Clark was driving the white Tahoe.

Dumervil also testified that he attended the party with teammate Brandon Marshall and several of Marshall's friends and family members, including a cousin named Blair Clark. Dumervil said he remembered Marshall and Blair Clark getting into an argument outside of the club with a "light-skinned" man, who has been identified in photographs as Daniel "Ponytail" Harris.

Dumervil said that the altercation was mostly verbal, but that Marshall and Blair Clark were agitated. Dumervil was able to identify himself and Marshall in surveillance video shot outside of the club. In the video, Marshall is spotted gesturing and then rushing somewhere off camera.

"I remember outside the club. That's when Brandon was trying to get him, and that's when the verbal altercation started. I was trying to grab Brandon into the limo," Dumervil said. "Brandon was trying to get Blair, or something of that nature."

Dumervil, under cross-examination, testified that he believed Marshall was, "Probably going to see whatever his cousin was getting into or whatever."

Eventually, Dumervil testified, he and Marshall and their group left the club in their hired towncar. As they were driving, they passed the white Hummer limo that was carrying Williams and 16 other people.

Dumervil said when they saw the Hummer, it was parked on the street and there not any authorities around.

"Brandon was saying lets stop," Dumervil said.

But their car did not stop, and Dumervil said they did not have reason to believe then that anything was wrong.

"We were just driving, I was looking through the window," Dumervil said. "It appeared to be parked. I didn't know there was shooting going on."

Dumervil and Marshall were both drafted by the Broncos in 2006. In recent years, both players have volunteered at Rev. Leon Kelly's Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives program. Both are set to become restricted free agents on March 5.

Dumervil was the recipient of the 2009 "Darrent Williams Good Guy" award, which is presented annually to a team member by the Denver chapter of the Pro Football Writers Association.

11:50 a.m.

Denver Broncos star linebacker Elvis Dumervil is set to be the first witness to testify after the court's short morning break.

Dumervil, accompanied by two Broncos employees, including the team's head of security, left the witness room and entered the courtroom approximately 11:40 a.m.

The previous witness, Shaniqua Dunn, testified earlier that she made a phone call to Dumervil.

Prosecutor Bruce Levin told Dunn that that conversation had been tape recorded.

11:15 a.m.

Under cross-examination by defense attorney Abraham Hutt, Dunn identified Broncos player Elvis Dumervil in surveillance video taken outside of the nightclub.

Dumervil is on the state's list of potential witness.

10:30 a.m.

Habas described the next witness, Shaniqua Dunn, as "clearly reluctant" to testify.

Dunn is an acquaintance of Willie Clark and was outside the club before the shooting.

Dunn, after much prodding from prosecutor Bruce Levin, confirmed she heard Clark ask Dunn's boyfriend if he "had a burner on him," in reference to a gun. Dunn said she did not remember hearing Clark respond that he had a gun in his vehicle.

She also said she saw a physical confrontation between Clark and men she assumed were professional athletes.

During Dunn's testimony, the name of Broncos player Elvis Dumervil was mentioned for the first time.

Levin elicited from Dunn that she knew Dumervil, who was a rookie in 2006, and later called Dumervil and told him details of the night of the shooting. That phone call was recorded, unbeknownst to Dunn.

"I don't remember the phone call with Elvis Dumervil, either. I remember calling him to find out what happened. My mom asked me if my football friend got killed," Dunn said. "I called him to find out what happened. He said that he would call me back, and apparently he recorded the conversation."

10:10 a.m.

Defense attorney Darren Cantor questioned Washington about the actions of Daniel "Ponytail" Harris, whom Washington had picked out of a photo lineup as the man who was the main aggressor in the confrontation inside and outside the club. Washington also identified a photo of Clark.

"He was definitely with Harris, he was there," Washington said. "But my main thing is the guy who was doing all the talking."

Washington admitted he learned more about the case from the Internet, including finding the names of Harris and Clark online in the years since the shooting.

9:50 a.m.

The first witness to testify Thursday is Nick Washington, a friend and business partner of Darrent Williams from Fort Worth, Tex., who was with Williams at The Shelter nightclub the night Williams was killed.

Washington confirmed the testimony given Tuesday by two other friends of Williams, John Sheppard and Brandon Flowers, about the events at The Shelter nightclub during and after the New Year's Eve party.

Washington broke down in tears while on the witness stand when he was asked to describe the scene inside the Hummer limo immediately after the shooting.

Washington said he remembered seeing Williams "slumped over" in his seat in the limo and saw Bronco teammate Javon Walker grab Williams and pull Williams out of the vehicle. Washington said he believed at the time at Williams was dead.

9:15 a.m.

Witnesses Mario Anderson and Kataina "Markie" Jackson-Keeling, who have already been indicted on perjury charges by prosecutors for allegedly lying to a Denver grand jury, again declined to testify this morning and were taken back to jail, where they are being held in contempt.

Anderson and Jackson-Keeling were allegedly in the Tahoe from which the fatal shots were fired, according to the grand jury indictment.

Judge Christina Habas said Anderson and Keeling will not be brought back to court until Tuesday, unless they alert deputies before then that they are ready to testify.

The first witness to testify today is Nick Washington, a friend and business partner of Darrent Williams from Fort Worth, Tex., who was with Williams at The Shelter nightclub the night Williams was killed.

Denver Native (Carol)
02-26-2010, 05:56 PM
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14477043

Willie D. Clark, 26, is on trial in the death of Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams early New Year's Day 2007. Williams was riding in a stretch Hummer limousine near 11th Avenue and Speer Boulevard when a single bullet struck him in the neck.

Clark is charged with first-degree murder, 16 counts of attempted murder, two counts of second-degree assault, illegal discharge of a firearm and other crimes that could land him in prison for the rest of his life.

Clark's trial started Tuesday; The Denver Post is blogging live from the proceedings.

2:50

Marshall testifies that he and his friends, including Dumervil, left in a hired Lincoln Towncar. A short time later they drove past the white Hummer limousine. Marshall said he saw police cars near the Hummer, but his group decided not to stop, not knowing there had been a shooting.

Marshall said a teammate called a short time later to tell Marshall that Williams had been shot. Marshall, who was home, then drove to the hospital, where other people from the Broncos - players and coaches - were already gathering.

Marshall began to cry on the stand as he recalled the scene at the hospital. Marshall said teammate Javon Walker - who was in the Hummer with Williams - was fixated on holding Williams' large medallion necklace, which Walker said Williams had asked him to hold.

"JWalk just kept looking at this chain, he wouldn't let no one hold the chain," Marshall said. "It was scary, there was blood on the chain."

2:45

Marshall testified that after the club closed, he saw the two men from inside the club on the sidewalk "throwing up signs." Marshall said this made him angry because he said he had tried to be nice to them earlier in the night.

"We start yapping back and forth," Marshall said. "There was a lot of cursing, a lot of words being exchanged. The guy with the black glasses on, it seemed like he didn't have a gun and lifted up his shirt like he had a gun. Then I made the comment, 'Man you ain't got no gun.' That's what I said. I probably escalated the fight. I was angry."

Marshall said at one point he tried to climb over the snow bank that separated the Hummer limo from the sidewalk but he fell down. That was when, Marshall said, a "skinny guy" threw a punch at him.

"I didn't touch anyone, no one from Darrent's party touched anybody," Marshall said. "From our side, no one threw a punch."

Even as the parties finally dispersed, Marshall said he was worried the fight might not be over.

"If guys take off, lights go off , like 'Danger,'" Marshall said.

2:20

Marshall said inside the club he saw a confrontation in the VIP area of the club between a group of Darrent Williams' friends and two other men.

"I believe it was the same guys from outside that I ran into. I'm positive," Marshall said.

Three of Williams' friends from Fort Worth, Texas, who testified earlier this week, said Marshall's cousin Blair Clark started the confrontation by spraying champagne over the crowd at midnight.

Marshall said he did not know what started the argument, and did not see any champagne being sprayed.

Marshall said he and teammate Elvis Dumervil tried to make peace with the men.

2:00

Brandon Marshall began his testimony Friday afternoon by telling jurors that he thinks about what happened on New Years Eve 2006 "every night."

The Broncos receiver, called to the witness stand at approximately 1:50 p.m., was questioned about everything he remembers from the night that teammate Darrent Williams was murdered, starting with when he and a group of friends left Marshall's home for a party near downtown Denver.

Marshall recalled first meeting a man - later identified as Willie Clark - outside of the club before either of their groups went inside.

"A guy with dark glasses and a little hoodie, turned around and said, "We're street, we got money too,'" Marshall said. "Being where I'm from, trying to defuse the situation. I said, if all ya'll have money, drinks on you tonight. Trying to make a joke. The guy with glasses, he didn't laugh. He stayed serious."

Marshall was interviewed by police on Jan. 8, 2007 - a week after the shooting - and picked Clark out of a photo lineup.

"I think it's unfair to put the wrong person behind bars, so if I picked someone out I wanted to be sure it was the guy I saw," Marshall said. "It was kind of tough at first because the guy I saw had on glasses, so a quarter of his face was gone. So I wanted to be sure."

1:45

Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall will be the first new witness called to testify Friday afternoon.

Marshall was escorted from the witness room to the courtroom at the Denver City and County Building as court resumed from a lunch break around 1:30 p.m.

Other witnesses have testified that Marshall and his cousin, Blair Clark, were part of multiple verbal altercations with Clark and another man, Daniel Harris, during and after a party at The Shelter nightclub.

Marshall will be the second Broncos player to testify. Elvis Dumervil took the witness stand on Thursday.

No other current players are expected to testify, though several former players are also on the witness list.

11:55

The prosecution introduced crime scene photos into evidence, and questioned Denver police department homicide detective Mark Crider.

Crider was on duty on New Years Eve and arrived at the scene of the shooting at approximately 3:20 a.m.

Jurors were shown photos of inside and around the white Hummer limousine in which Williams was killed.

11:39

Prosecution calls Nicole Reindl, the college student who was with friends and former Bronco Javon Walker at The Shelter club on New Years Eve.

Reindl was shot in the head after leaving the club in Darrent Williams' limousine.

"I didn't realize we had been shot until we hit the ground and looked up and saw bullet holes in the window," Reindl said. "At first I wasn't sure I had been shot — I thought maybe a rock had gone through the window. It became very apparent when we got out of the limo I had been shot."

Reindl, who had been seated on the bench near the back of the limo, on the driver's side, had bent over to answer her cell phone. Prosecutor Bruce Levin has said that this phone call likely saved Reindl's life.

Reindl was hospitalized for about a day, and said the bullet remains in her head. She said she hopes to eventually have it removed.

Defense attorneys did not cross-examine Reindl, and she was quickly excused.

11:28

Denver police officer Clifford Stump briefly testified about the scene immediately following the shooting. Stump's testimony took several minutes and he was not cross-examined by defense attorneys.

10:55

Abram was eventually dismissed after nearly two hours on the witness stand, just before 11 a.m.

Prosecutor Bruce Levin, in his chance to question Abram again after Cantor's cross-examination, asked Abram is he feared for his safety if it appeared he helped the prosecution in its case.

"Would I fear for my safety? Yeah, sure," Abram said. "I didn't want to be here in the first place."

9:30 a.m.

Court resumed around 9 a.m. with continued testimony from prosecution witness Felix Abram, a federal prisoner who was friends with defendant Willie Clark and was at the New Years Eve party that preceded the shooting.

Abram is a federal prisoner who has reached a plea deal in a drug case in exchange for his testimony in this trial.

Defense attorney Darren Cantor tried began his cross examination of Abram Friday morning by trying to prove that Abram would have "no hesitation to lie to get (himself) out of the trouble," and over the course of the next 15 minutes, the exchange between Cantor and Abram was contentious.

Cantor spent much of the first hour of the trial on Friday reading back previous statements Abram had made to investigators, trying to catch Abram in a lie.

Abram defended himself, and accused Cantor and other lawyers of asking "leading questions" and of taking his statements out of context.

Judge Christina Habas at least twice had to stop Cantor and Abram, telling both the men to slow down and listen more carefully.

"We can't let this deteriorate," Habas said.

T.K.O.
02-27-2010, 05:27 PM
Brandon Marshall's testimony leaves no doubt; he was the real target
Posted by Mike Florio on February 27, 2010 4:27 PM ET
The night before I left home for college, I was sitting in the back seat of a friend's Firebird (at least I think it was a Firebird) in the drive-through line of the local Burger Chef (at least I think the place was called Burger Chef). Four of us were in the vehicle, a blended group of acquaintances who each knew the driver well (think Kramer at the wheel of a car containing Costanza, Mickey, and Newman).

So another car rolled past us. Older kids. Though it might surprise some of you, I have the tendency at times to be a smart ass, and something prompted me to yell something -- I can't even remember what it was -- to the other car.

On went the brake lights and out jumped one of the guys. Since the Firebird had two doors, I was tucked away, largely out of view and most importantly out of reach. So the guy literally pulled the kid sitting in the front passenger seat out of the car and beat the hell out of him. The guy then looked into the car and said something like, "Do the rest of you have anything to say?"

I still think about that night once every year or so, and I still feel a little guilty that some guy I didn't know very well (hell, I can't even remember his name) got punched hard in the stomach and maybe in the face because of something I said.

Take that feeling and multiply it by 10,000, and that's how Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall surely feels, every day of his life.

We posted earlier today the link to the audio of his testimony from the trial of Willie Clark, the man who is accused of killing Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams via a hail of bullets directed at the limo in which Williams and others were riding. Though we gradually have realized via the media accounts that Marshall and Williams weren't joined at the hip that night, we still had a vague sense that they generally were traveling in the same pack, given that they were on the same team.

After listening to Marshall's testimony, it's clear that they were in completely separate groups. It's also clear that, under the prosecution's theory of the case, Clark fired bullets into the limo carrying Williams because Clark assumed that Marshall was in it.

Marshall had been fighting with Clark and others who were with him. During a verbal exchange outside the club, Clark had pretended to have a gun, prompting Marshall to say, "You aint got no f--king gun." It was Marshall who then got angry and tried to climb a snow bank and was punched in the jaw by one of the other guys with Clark and then concluded after the others scattered that it would be prudent to get the hell out of there.

Said Marshall, "Being from where I'm from . . . if there ain't no police there breaking up no fight or an argument and guys take off . . . a light should go off meaning danger. . . . The first thing I thought about was, 'These guys [are] running, he's acting like he has a gun. He may be running to go get a gun.'"

Though the link from the Denver Post craps out before Marshall's testimony is finished, we heard enough to conclude that Marshall was the primary target of the bullets fired by Willie Clark, under the facts as the prosecution believes them to be.

So now it's perfectly clear why Marshall thinks of the situation "every night." Marshall's cousin got into a verbal squabble with some guys, Marshall tried unsuccessfully to defuse the situation, Marshall eventually "escalated" the incident to the point where a guy went to get a gun, the guy got a gun, and the guy fired the gun into a limo other than the limo in which Marshall was riding.

It's easy for Marshall to conclude that the bullet that killed Williams was meant for him, especially since at the moment the testimony cuts out, Marshall is explaining that at one point in the evening he got in the Hummer limo in which Williams was riding, which likely represents an effort by prosecutors to explain Willie Clark's confusion regarding the proper target of the bullets that were fired.

Given all of the problems Marshall has had, it's hard to ever regard him as sympathetic. But we feel badly for him on this one. For the rest of his life, he has to carry around the feeling that he helped stir up a situation that ultimately claimed the life of a teammate who also was, by all appearances, an innocent bystander.

Denver Native (Carol)
02-27-2010, 05:48 PM
Here is another post on Brandon's testimony. Funny how everyone somewhat sees it from a different perspective

http://www.milehighreport.com/2010/2/27/1329176/testimony-from-brandon-marshall

Brandon Marshall took the stand yesterday in the Darrent Williams' murder trial and confidently pointed out the man he engaged with a confrontation with on New Year's Eve 2006, the night teammate and friend Darrent Williams was shot.

"Is there any doubt in your mind that is that man?" prosecutor Tim Twining asked Marshall.

"That's the guy," Marshall said. "In that picture, in that video and at this table right here."

He was pointing to Willie Clark, the man prosecutors say shot Williams later that night following an altercation that Marshall admitted he helped escalate.

"I kind of got angry at the time and probably escalated the situation, but I got angry because it was New Year's and we were trying to have fun."

Marshall explains trying to get at Clark and Daniel Harris, who was with Clark at the bar, but he slipped in a snowbank. He admits Harris punched him in the face. It was then, Marshall explains, that he got a bad feeling.

"The first thing I thought of is maybe they are running to go get a gun."

Marshall, and teammate Elvis Dumervil, left together. They drove past Williams' rented Hummer Limo after dropping some friends off. It was surrounded by police. They thought of stopping, but did not.

Marshall then remembers the phone call he received a few minutes later telling him of Williams being shot and the trip to the hospital where he saw former teammate Javon Walker.

"It was just real quiet in the room and it was how he was looking at the chain, . . . and there was blood on the chain and blood all over JWalk and he wasn't really talking," Marshall said while crying on the stand. "He kept holding that chain and wouldn't let nobody touch that chain."

Marshall's testimony is the first he has made publicly about what happened that night. His emotion on the stand shows that the events of 3 years ago still have a profound effect on him. It may also go a long way to explain the reason Marshall wants out of Denver. Humor me for a bit as I explain.

Star-divide

There are plenty of superficial reasons that could explain away why Brandon Marshall wants out of town - as has wanted out of town for awhile. His contract is surely one. His lack of trust in the team's medical staff resulting from the mis-diagnosis of a hip injury is another. Some will say his on-again, off-again relationship with Josh McDaniels is part as well. All are worthy explanations, and likely play a part. For me, however, I have always seen this as something much deeper. Sure, the reasons above are important - Marshall obviously wants to get paid - but there was always something underlying to me.

Marshall is an emotional guy. It makes him great on the field and gives him trouble off of it. Emotion, in a lot of ways, has been the reason many of his run-ins with the law have happened. Emotions were likely running high that night when Willie Clark decided pulling a gun was the only way to get his "respect" back. It was also on full dispplay when Marshall, pulled over for erratic driving, screamed how much he hated Denver, berating the police for pulling him over instead of looking for Darrent's murderer.

"I hate Denver," Marshall said, as written by the arresting officer in the police report.

"I hope I get traded. I hate this (bleeping) city."

"Why aren't you guys looking for Williams' killer?" Marshall told the officer.
Mike Klis wrote an article about Marshall and the affect Williams' murder has had on him. It;s a solid read - whether you agree with the premise or not.

The big question now becomes, now that Marshall has relived the events of that night, what effect will it have on his future with the Broncos? We'll likely find out in the next month or so.

I am of the opinion that from a football standpoint, the relationship between the Broncos and Marshall is very much salvageable. I think Marshall and Josh McDaniels can co-exist and even flourish because they are very much alike. Josh understands what makes Brandon tick because he has a similar makeup. Harnessing that emotion is the key - and both men are still a work in progress.

Does Brandon Marshall want to be a Bronco, or more importantly, live and play in the City of Denver? That is the underlying issue here and yesterday's testimony will bring it to the forefront.

Marshall's rehashing of the events, and the honest manner at which he admitted his involvement, can have two different impacts on all of this.

First, Marshall could be further tormented by the guilt he obviously feels. It's not his fault - as his testimony clearly talks about - he tried to defuse the situation at a number of different points, first getting Clark into the bar that night, then offering to have Clark and his friend party along with Marshall and the people in the VIP area. He still feels the guilt, though, as many of us would. The fact remains that Clark is an evil man and was going to cause trouble with Marshall, Williams and the rest of those in the group because he wanted to. There was nothing Marshall could have done.

Those event, however, forced Javon Walker into a career tail-spin he hasn't been able to recover from. Sure, Walker got hurt, but his unhappiness in Denver was clear from the interview on HBO during the summer of 2007. Even then he was saying he didn't know if he wanted to stay in Denver. Clearly talking about it didn't ease those feelings at all.

Marshall could go through the same feelings - with the trial bringing back all the negative feelings he has towards Denver and re-emphasizing his desire to leave.

There is another angle, however, one that I hope Marshall takes. The trial, the testimony, and hopefully the justice that Marshall helps to see done, could have an emotional cleansing effect on Marshall. Marshall has not spoken about the incident until yesterday - which had to be tough on him. Now that it is all out in the open, Marshall should be able to begin the process of healing.

Should Clark be found guilty, some closure can be brought to the family of Williams, the Broncos, and Brandon Marshall. That, in turn, could help Marshall replace much of the negativity he harbors towards the City of Denver. It would also put a dangerous criminal behind bars for a long time.

It took guts for Marshall to do what he did. Just look at Clark's history to see why. Scared witnesses that won't testify. Alleged accomplices that are in jail on contempt charges because they refuse to testify. A woman that was going to testify against Clark in another case gunned down on the street the day before she was to give testimony. Stuff right out of the movies. Could any of Marshall's angst towards Denver stem from fear? If so, who could blame him.

I believe that the Denver Broncos would pay Brandon Marshall. I believe that he could co-exist with Josh McDaniels. I believe that he could thrive as a Bronco. Deep down, however, Brandon Marshall has to want to live, and play, in Denver. Does he?

The prevailing attitude is that the Broncos will look to trade Marshall in the coming months before the Draft. Perhaps it will happen, and depending on how Marshall handles his account of the night Darrent Williams died, perhaps it is for the best. The Broncos are surely watching, as we all are, to see. Here's hoping no matter what happens with Marshall and the Broncos on the field that the man is able to find peace off of it. I just hope that peace is found in the Broncos uniform.

Davii
02-27-2010, 05:53 PM
Whether or not Brandon remains a Bronco (And I hope he does) I hope the young man gets some counseling.

There is no fault in this other than the gang bangers. Period.

Ravage!!!
02-27-2010, 06:34 PM
Whether or not Brandon remains a Bronco (And I hope he does) I hope the young man gets some counseling.

There is no fault in this other than the gang bangers. Period.

exactly. Anyone that tries to pin this on Marshall at all, is completely wrong. There is no way anything got "escalated" to the point that justifies shooting guns. Thats just trash, gang, menality.

BroncoAV06
02-27-2010, 06:38 PM
The majority will because its just another thing to jump on Marshall about. I challenge anyone to tell me they have never talked back when someone was causing shit with their friends. Gangbangers are a bunch of little bitches, oh I am bad I got a gun.

It is something that sadly happens all the time and I am sure that night will hunt everyone forever.

Davii
02-27-2010, 06:40 PM
exactly. Anyone that tries to pin this on Marshall at all, is completely wrong. There is no way anything got "escalated" to the point that justifies shooting guns. Thats just trash, gang, menality.

It honestly seems to me Brandon tried to de-escalate the situation on a few different occasions. Personally, if some people treated me and my friends in the manner the gang members were treating the Broncos I would probably go after them as well.

There is nothing the Brandon, his cousin, or any Bronco did to merit what happened. This whole thing is nothing but some gang banging thugs that shouldn't be part of our society doing what they do.

Denver Native (Carol)
02-27-2010, 06:45 PM
What bothers me is that both Elvis and Brandon have testified against Clark. These damn gang members are so tight - by their STUPID creed - that if Clark is charged with the murder, how safe will it be for Elvis and Brandon, and I just don't mean in Denver - these JERKS could go after them wherever they are. I am very proud of Brandon to get up there and say what he did - obviously, he wants Clark convicted because of what he did to Darrent - Brandon definitely did not put himself first.

Davii
02-27-2010, 07:41 PM
What bothers me is that both Elvis and Brandon have testified against Clark. These damn gang members are so tight - by their STUPID creed - that if Clark is charged with the murder, how safe will it be for Elvis and Brandon, and I just don't mean in Denver - these JERKS could go after them wherever they are. I am very proud of Brandon to get up there and say what he did - obviously, he wants Clark convicted because of what he did to Darrent - Brandon definitely did not put himself first.

Good point Carol. I think the "security" measures in place, no video etc. to try and protect the identity of the witnesses is ludicrous. Seriously, everyone knows who Brandon and Elvis are. They don't need video to know who they are.

I'm certain both Brandon and Elvis have taken the necessary precautions for their safety, hired security, home alarms, etc. It sucks they have to do that, but they must protect themselves.

Definitely glad to see them both take the stand and be confident in pointing right at Willie Clark.

Lonestar
02-27-2010, 09:15 PM
Good point Carol. I think the "security" measures in place, no video etc. to try and protect the identity of the witnesses is ludicrous. Seriously, everyone knows who Brandon and Elvis are. They don't need video to know who they are.

I'm certain both Brandon and Elvis have taken the necessary precautions for their safety, hired security, home alarms, etc. It sucks they have to do that, but they must protect themselves.

Definitely glad to see them both take the stand and be confident in pointing right at Willie Clark.


I'd guess that both of them have decent security system set up about 3 days after the incident if they did not have them already.

We all know that both of them are pretty good with their hands.:laugh::laugh::laugh:

Denver Native (Carol)
03-01-2010, 06:27 PM
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14491657

Willie D. Clark, 26, is on trial in the death of Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams early New Year's Day 2007. Williams was riding in a stretch Hummer limousine near 11th Avenue and Speer Boulevard when a single bullet struck him in the neck.

Clark is charged with first-degree murder, 16 counts of attempted murder, two counts of second-degree assault, illegal discharge of a firearm and other crimes that could land him in prison for the rest of his life.

Clark's trial started Feb. 23; The Denver Post is blogging live from the proceedings.

4:15 p.m.

Willie Clark began shooting about three to four minutes after Daniel Harris joined him in the Tahoe, Harris testified.

Harris, who sat in the right rear seat, watched as Clark fired a 'big, black pistol" at the limo as he steered the Tahoe, Harris said. Harris could see the bullets striking the stretch Hummer. "Everything was like slow motion," he said.

The Hummer veered off Speer Boulevard and stopped in the grass, he said.

Following the shooting, the Tahoe sped away and Harris told Clark to slow down so he wouldn't attract police attention.

Clark dropped him off on a street, and Harris, who described himself as shocked into sobriety, ran to his car.

Several days later he talked to Clark, who felt bad that he had drawn police attention to his friends.

Harris worried that he might be killed to keep him from talking, so he left the country and went to Mexico, he said.

Later, he called the police in Denver. "I told them that I know everything that happened."

He returned to Colorado months later and found a federal grand jury had indicted him for conspiracy and intent to distribute crack cocaine.

Federal prosecutors allowed him to plead guilty to only one count in return for cooperating with any state agency.

He was granted immunity from prosecution for his testimony in the Williams case.

3:15

Harris testifies he remembers seeing a disturbance outside when the club closed, but again said he didn't believe he was involved.

Harris said that prior to taking the witness stand, he was able to review the surveillance video shot early on Jan. 1, 2007, and was able to see himself pushing his way through a crowd of people.

"I don't believe I was involved," Harris said. "After watching the security video, obviously I was involved."

Harris said he didn't see Clark in any sort of confrontation, either. Harris said that previous testimony he saw Clark be put in a "headlock" was inaccurate, and that he made the statement based on second-hand information.

Prosecutor Tim Twining asked Harris if the altercation outside the nightclub made him angry "enough to want to shoot someone?"

Harris said no, because a shooting would derail his successful drug-dealing business.

3:05

Harris testified about what he remembered from the night of Dec. 31, in the hours before Williams was killed.

Harris said he went to dinner with some friends and family members before going to Safari Night at The Shelter nightclub.

Harris said he did not see Willie Clark until they were both inside the club.

Harris said he was not involved in, nor did he see, any altercations inside the club. He said he also did not meet any Denver athletes, nor did he remember seeing anyone spray champagne inside the club.

These statements are all contrary to the testimony of previous prosecution witnesses, including that from Brandon Marshall, Elvis Dumervil and three of Darrent Williams' friends who were all at the nightclub.

"I don't recall me getting into any kind of altercations with anybody," Harris said.

2:40

The prosecution calls Daniel "Ponytail" Harris to testify.

He is currently a federal prisoner and also in witness protection. He has reached a plea agreement in a federal drug case in exchange for his testimony in Clark's murder trial.

Throughout the first week of Clark's trial, Harris has been identified as a key figure in the altercations at the nightclub the night Williams was killed.

Harris, at the beginning of his testimony, identified Clark as being a member of the Tre Tre Crips gangs. Harris said he met Clark through Brian Hicks, whom Harris described as a "close friend, business partner, associate. Dealing drugs, doing various things."

2:30

Witness Allison Morton, who was celebrating New Year's Eve at a bar called The Garage, testified about hearing gunshots which she first thought were fireworks and seeing a white "Tahoe or Suburban" drive away northbound on Speer Boulevard.

Morton said she was trying to hail a taxi when the shooting happened. She said she saw the Hummer limo pull off Speer onto a patch of grass.

Morton stayed at the scene and was taken that night to a police station to give a statement about what she saw.

2:15

Whitmore said Williams had one obvious wound: A single gunshot to the neck.

"The entrance wound is on the left side of the neck. Exit wound is on the right side," Whitmore said.

Whitmore said the bullet tore through the jugular veins on the left and right side of Williams' neck, as well as Williams' airway, esophagus and right carotid artery, causing "massive bleeding," Whitmore said.

Whitmore said the wound was so severe that it likely killed Williams in, "at most a matter of a few minutes, maybe just a minute," Whitmore said.

1:55

Dr. Robert Whitmore, Denver's former chief medical examiner, was the first witness called by the prosecution this afternoon.

Whitmore performed the autopsy on Darrent Williams' body.

Judge Christina Habas warned people sitting in the courtroom that there would be potentially disturbing photographs admitted into evidence. Habas said that because of nature of the autopsy photos, they would only be shown to the jury, not to the gallery.

12:40

Under cross examination, Priest said it would be "very difficult" for someone on the drivers side of the suspect's vehicle to have fired the shots that hit the lower portion of the Hummer.

"It would be very difficult for that to be fired from the drivers side of the vehicle," Priest said.

Prosecutors allege that Clark fired the fatal shots from the driver's seat of the Tahoe.

Priest was re-questioned by prosecutor Tim Twining, and he testified that the bullet that killed Williams was fired from a "horizontal, slightly front to back angle," Priest said.

Priest was excused at approximately 12:40 p.m.. Court will resume at approximately 1:45 p.m.

12:25 p.m.

Jurors were shown a series of photographs of the Hummer limousine taken at the Denver police crime lab after investigators used rods to determine the trajectory of the bullets that had been fired at the limo.

Priest said the most significant information investigators gathered was that the dents and bullet holes in the lower part of the Hummer came mostly from the .45 caliber weapon. The bullets that hit the Hummer's windows mostly came from the .40 caliber. The bullets that hit Brandon Flowers in the buttocks and Nicole Reindl in the head — neither of which has been recovered — are believed to be .40 caliber, Priest said.

"The .40 was predominately a horizontal, and the .45 was predominately a downward trajectory," Priest said.

11:48

Denver Police Lt. Jon Priest, who oversees the homicide department, testified about the discovery of Chevy Tahoe from which investigators believed the shots were fired.

Jurors were shown photographs of the area where the SUV was found, and of the interior and exterior of the Tahoe.

It was found Jan. 4, 2007, in the 3800 block of Himalaya Road, in the area of the Montbello and Green Valley Ranch neighborhoods, Priest said. The barrel of the .40 caliber gun was found two days earlier about six blocks away.

The exterior of the Tahoe (except for the roof) had been spray-painted black, and the interior had been burned. There was a smoky film covering the interior windows.

"There was a very strong odor of fuel, probably gasoline," Priest testified. "Also an odor of smoke."

The prosecution and defense agree that this 1998 Tahoe is owned by Brian Hicks, an alleged drug kingpin who is an associate of Willie Clark. Hicks was in jail on Jan. 1, 2007.

11:20

Both the prosecution and defense have agreed two guns were fired at the Hummer limousine on Jan. 1, 2007 — a .40 caliber and .45 caliber. Frushour testified that the .40 caliber was a Beretta, and the .45 caliber was a Glock.

The bullet that killed Williams came from the Beretta.

After a short break, court resumed with another expert firearms witness, Frank Kerber, who worked with Frushour in the Denver Police crime lab as a forensics firearms examiner

10:27 a.m.

Under cross-examination from defense attorney Abraham Hutt, Frushour said two guns were fired at the scene. He answered "Yes" when Hutt asked if the recovered bullets could have come from as many as four weapons.

10:10 a.m.

Kelley was followed on the witness stand by Edward Frushour, a retired forensics firearms examiner for the Denver Police Department who is considered by the court to be an expert witness in firearms analysis.

Frushour testified that the bullet fragment recovered from Darrent Williams' neck, as well as several other rounds from the crime scene, were fired from the gun barrel that was discovered in an Aurora field days after Williams was killed.

9:26 a.m.

The first witness called today was Detective Timothy Kelley, a Denver crime scene investigator who was among those who processed the scene at 11th and Speer.

Prosecutors introduced numerous spent shell casings into evidence.

9 a.m.

Prosecutors are expected continue to present their case against Willie Clark this morning by calling a series of witnesses to testify about the crime scene.

Jurors are also likely to hear testimony from the former Denver chief medical examiner who performed the autopsy on Darrent Williams' body.

T.K.O.
03-01-2010, 08:20 PM
man...it stll makes me sick to my stomach the senselessness of the whole thing......
http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/6/a_d692d19c461b92c9035ae9e6797a36ef.jpg

clip from an article after the dedication of d'wills youth center,


During her brief speech Thursday, Rosalind Williams expressed hope her son's story would become a manifestation in the fight against violence not only in Denver, but throughout the country. Afterwards, she admitted the emotional healing process won't be complete until there is an arrest and conviction for the crimes committed against her son.

that day is comin'.....mrs. will :salute:

Dean
03-01-2010, 08:53 PM
Harris's testimony that he didn't see any champagne, any diturbance, and the shots were fired from the drivers side just gave the jury a reason to doubt his entire testimony. :tsk:

T.K.O.
03-01-2010, 09:12 PM
even if this P.O.S. gets off on the 1st degree murder charges (which i doubt) he has been indicted on 39 counts and will be found guilty of most ,he also is facing federal drug charges.
so no matter what its gonna be alot of years til' he see's another "happy meal"
his lawyers are just trying to keep him alive at this point.
i dont see a parole board letting him out......ever !

Denver Native (Carol)
03-02-2010, 11:19 AM
Harris's testimony that he didn't see any champagne, any diturbance, and the shots were fired from the drivers side just gave the jury a reason to doubt his entire testimony. :tsk:

I hope that is not what he planned to do all along in agreeing to testify after he was given a plea deal. Muddy up the water to the point that his testimony did not mean much of anything :tsk:

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14495302

A prolific and admitted crack-cocaine dealer now in the federal witness protection program told a Denver jury Monday that he saw Willie D. Clark shoot at a limousine carrying Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams.

Daniel "Ponytail" Harris is the state's only witness so far who says Clark was firing at Williams' rented limousine early New Year's Day 2007 while driving a white Chevrolet Tahoe.

"Is there any doubt in your mind that was the man firing the weapon?" Denver prosecutor Tim Twining asked Harris while pointing at Clark.

"He was firing that gun right in front of my face, and he was shooting out the window just boom, boom, boom, boom," Harris said.

"How many times did you see the defendant fire that weapon into the limousine?" Twining asked.

"It just seemed like it was going on forever," Harris said. "It was like everything was slow motion. It was just like boom, boom, boom, boom until it stopped. It was just random all over. It wasn't like he was shooting a specific part."

But Harris' account of the shooting was the only part of his testimony Monday that didn't either contradict previous witnesses, physical evidence or his own previous statements.

Clark, 26, is on trial and charged with killing Williams and wounding two others who were riding in the limousine.

Clark's defense team will continue to cross-examine Harris today but already began to question Harris about a deal he made with prosecutors in exchange for his testimony.

"If you do your part of the deal, they (prosecutors) all tell the judge you ought to get five years instead of what you are facing?" asked Clark's lawyer, Darren Cantor.

"I don't know how that all works," Harris said. "That is all legal stuff, and I am no lawyer."

Harris' deal

If federal and state prosecutors believe Harris testified truthfully, they will recommend a five-year sentence on his federal crack-cocaine dealing case. He will also receive immunity from prosecution for his testimony in the Williams case.

Harris, 39, was facing life in prison on the drug case because of the quantity of the drugs alleged. Harris says he was a "prolific" dope dealer and an auto salesman and was able to purchase a $600,000 home with the proceeds.

Harris could have also faced a life sentence if he was implicated as a second shooter in the Williams case.

Prosecutors and defense lawyers have told jurors that at least two people were shooting at the limousine and two different guns were used.

"Were you shooting a gun into that limousine?" Twining asked.

"No, I wasn't," Harris said. "My window was up."

"Did you have a gun with you that night?" Twining asked.

"No," Harris said.

Lingering questions

But jurors will find much to question about Harris' testimony. For starters, he said he did not see Clark until he was in the Shelter nightclub. Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall told the jury he saw Clark and Harris together in line outside the club and helped get them in.

Harris told Twining that he was not involved in an altercation outside the Shelter nightclub just before the shooting.

But on video, Harris is seen angrily pushing his way through a crowd and appears to knock a woman to the ground.

Harris previously told the grand jury investigating the killing that he saw Clark get put in a "headlock" outside the club. Monday, he said he didn't remember.

Harris said some parts of his memory are unclear because he had eight to 10 drinks of hard liquor that night and had gotten residual mace in his eyes after security sprayed the crowd outside the club.

Harris says he wanted to get out of the area because of the mace and he hopped in the back seat of the Tahoe behind Clark's cousin Kataina "Markie" Jackson-Keeling.

Harris testified that Mario Anderson, a friend of Clark's, was sitting behind Clark in the back seat.

Jackson-Keeling and Anderson have refused to testify.

As the four drove away from the club, Harris said he remembers the Tahoe getting closer to the limousine on Speer Boulevard.

He testified Clark, while driving, leaned over the Tahoe's console and began shooting a gun out the passenger-side window, past Jackson-Keeling.

Harris told the jury that 10 days after the shooting, he flew to Mexico because he feared for his life and because he knows witnesses can be killed. He says he tried to get Clark to come clean and turn himself in because he had brought on too much heat, but Clark refused.

Defense lawyers have told the jury that Harris fled to Mexico because he was involved in the crime and showed the jury photographs of Harris partying in Mexico and posing with two women wearing bikinis.

Denver Native (Carol)
03-02-2010, 12:31 PM
I do not like this - Is he trying to MUDDY the water to protect Clark? His testimony, before he gave it, was suppose to be MAJOR - I do not know what to think for sure now.:mad:

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14497785

Willie D. Clark, 26, is on trial in the death of Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams early New Year's Day 2007. Williams was riding in a stretch Hummer limousine near 11th Avenue and Speer Boulevard when a single bullet struck him in the neck.

Clark is charged with first-degree murder, 16 counts of attempted murder, two counts of second-degree assault, illegal discharge of a firearm and other crimes that could land him in prison for the rest of his life.

Clark's trial started Feb. 23; The Denver Post is blogging live from the proceedings.

10:00

Cantor then recounted what happened outside The Shelter nightclub after it closed around 2 a.m. Jan. 1, 2007. Cantor repeated the details of the altercation previously given by prosecution witnesses: that Harris was in the middle of the confrontation with Broncos players and their friends.

Cantor asked Harris about "challenging these guys to fight."

"I don't recall anything like that," Harris said.

Cantor also asked what happened inside the club, and Harris confirmed his testimony from Monday afternoon, repeating that he didn't remember anyone spraying champagne or any Broncos players (Darrent Williams) trying to defuse a fight.

"I have no recollection of that," Harris said.

9:45

Cantor questioned Harris about his trip to Mexico shortly after the shooting. In Harris' testimony Monday, he told the jury he left because he feared for his safety because of what he knew about the shooting.

Cantor, in his cross-examination this morning, tried to make a case that Harris instead fled because he was guilty.

"You told a woman there that you were the one who shot Darrent Williams," Cantor said to Harris.

9:30

Defense attorney Darren Cantor questioned Harris about the multiple plea deals he reached in exchange for his testimony in this case.

Harris could have faced up to two life sentences for his role in a federal drug case and his involvement in this case. Instead, he could serve only five years, which includes the nearly three years he has already been in custody.

"In the time you have been in custody, you have repeatedly tried to sell your story to the government," Cantor said.

"There is no story," Harris replied. "It's the truth."

9:00 a.m.

Judge Christina Habas again sends two uncooperative witnesses back to jail on contempt charges.

Prosecutors have said Kataina "Markie" Jackson-Keeling and Mario Anderson, both friends of defendant Willie Clark, were passengers in the white Tahoe when the shooting occurred, with Jackson-Keeling sitting in the front passenger seat and Anderson in the rear behind Clark, who prosecutors said was driving.

Both Jackson-Keeling and Anderson were indicted last fall on charges of perjury and attempting to influence a public servant.

The sixth day of testimony in Clark's trial began with the prosecution's key witness, Daniel "Ponytail" Harris, back on the witness stand for further cross-examination from defense attorneys.

On Monday afternoon, Harris, who was riding in the backseat of the Tahoe, became the first witness to identify Clark as the shooter.

Harris is a federal prisoner and also in witness protection. He reached a plea deal in a drug case in exchange for his testimony, and defense attorneys are expected to attack his credibility.

Lonestar
03-02-2010, 06:17 PM
Clark trial: Owner's girlfriend traces path of Tahoe
By Lindsay H. Jones
The Denver Post
POSTED: 03/02/2010 09:22:44 AM MST
UPDATED: 03/02/2010 03:58:22 PM MST


Willie Clark (Denver Police Department)
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Witness says he saw Clark shoot
Feb 27:
Krieger: Marshall steps up as witness
Marshall admits escalating fight before teammate's death
Feb 26:
Brandon Marshall identifies Clark as he ends his testimony
Bronco Dumervil recorded woman's call about "burner" after teammate's shooting
Feb 25:
Witness calls sidewalk fight "demographic"
Prosecution witness in Clark trial admits she was drunk, high
Feb 24:
Day 2: Testimony in Williams' death continues
Prosecution: Slain Bronco Darrent Williams was an innocent bystander
Feb 23:
Day 1: Javon Walker to wounded Williams: "Don't die on me."
Jurors chosen for trial in killing of Broncos' Darrent Williams
Feb 22:
Jury picked to hear case in murder of Bronco Darrent Williams
Willie D. Clark, 26, is on trial in the death of Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams early New Year's Day 2007. Williams was riding in a stretch Hummer limousine near 11th Avenue and Speer Boulevard when a single bullet struck him in the neck.

Clark is charged with first-degree murder, 16 counts of attempted murder, two counts of second-degree assault, illegal discharge of a firearm and other crimes that could land him in prison for the rest of his life.

Clark's trial started Feb. 23; The Denver Post is blogging live from the proceedings.

3:53

Garcia testified about her first contacted by police about the Williams murder. She said she did not cooperate because she was both scared for her safety and

LIVE FROM THE DARRENT WILLIAMS TRIAL

Denver Courts
DENVERCOURTS
Defense attorneys bringing up all of Garcia's prior felony convictions -- vehicular assault, theft, drugs
about 1 minute ago
Garcia now being cross-examined by defense attorneys
20 minutes ago
Again, here's the link to the live blog. Updates from the top in chon order: http://bit.ly/cQOKcD
38 minutes ago
This could be the most damning testimony yet against Willie Clark.
46 minutes ago
Garcia said she saw Willie Clark wearing a bullet proof vest early on New Years Eve (before going to club).
53 minutes ago
Garcia is a longtime friend of Hicks and Clark. She ran Hicks' store after Hicks went to jail.
56 minutes ago
Next witness: Veronica Garcia. She is/was the girlfriend of Brian Hicks. She is currently in jail in Douglas County.
about 1 hour ago
Jurors now hearing more of the call that was recorded by Elvis Dumervil. Again, hard to understand.
about 1 hour ago
Jurors still hearing the second call, from Jan. 2, 2007. HIcks is irrate about new punishment at jail, trying to find out why.
2 hours ago
The gist of the first call was that Hicks gave Clark permission to drive Hick's car while Hicks was in jail.
2 hours ago
The first call is being played for jurors now. It is extremely hard to understand what is being said.
2 hours ago

Join the conversation
ARCHIVE: DARRENT WILLIAMS MURDER
Read the Jan. 2, 2007 article: City, team, kin reel from brutal killing.
Browse a slide show of images from Willie Clark's first court appearance for the murder.
View the indictment of Willie Clark
Read the coroner's 9-page report on the death of Darrent Williams.
View a Darrent Williams slideshow
Watch a video of Mike Shanahan's press conference at Dove Valley.
Discuss your memories on All Things Broncos blog.
Send condolences to the Williams family via their guest book.
Visit D-Will's MySpace page
Read The Broncos Interviews: Darrent Williams
ARCHIVE: DARRENT WILLIAMS MEMORIAL SERVICES
Watch Pat Bowlen's comments
Watch Mike Shanahan's eulogy
Watch Al Wilson's comments
Watch Keith Burns' comments
Watch Tatum Bell's comments
Watch John Lynch's eulogy
Watch Bill Williamson's comments
Listen to Broncos Coach Mike Shanahan's eulogy
Listen to Broncos owner Pat Bowlen's eulogy
Listen to Broncos teammate Al Wilson's eulogy
Listen to Broncos teammate John Lynch's eulogy
ARCHIVE: WOODY PAIGE COLUMN
Read some of the e-mails Woody Paige received in response to his column about the Darrent Williams gravesite
Read Woody's original column, "Williams' grave needs our help"
also felt allegiance to Clark and their friends.
Garcia, who has three felony convictions for drug and assault charges, gave her first interview to homicide investigators on Oct. 21, 2008.

She concluded her direct testimony this afternoon by saying that Clark had called her from jail after he was arrested, asking her to say he was with her on New Years Eve.

"Was he with you?" prosecutor Twining asked.

"No," Garcia said.

3:49

Garcia said she later saw a news report of the police discovering the Tahoe that had been spray-painted black. She said the Tahoe was found "less than 10 blocks" from her home in Green Valley Ranch.

She said she hadn't been to her house in days, but that there were numerous signs in her garage paint cans, black paint footprints, the smell of gas that the Tahoe had been painted and burned there.

3:32

Garcia, who did not go to the nightclub because she was living at a halfway house at the time, testified that she next saw Clark on Jan. 1. That day, Garcia said Clark told her that the previous night, "They had to get off on some n----," Garcia said.

Twining asked her what she believed Clark meant by this.

"That they probably had a shootout with someone," Garcia said.

Garcia said Clark returned the white Tahoe to her and she parked it in her garage.

She later saw a television report that a white Tahoe was the suspect vehicle in Darrent Williams' murder. She said she told Clark that he needed to remove the Tahoe.

"I didn't want it in there because it was used in a homicide," Garcia said. "He said it would go get it after dark."

3:25

Garcia testified that she saw Clark at a mutual friend's home early on New Years Eve, before Clark headed to the nightclub. Garcia said Clark was wearing a bulletproof vest that night.

Garcia said Clark was driving the white Chevy Tahoe belonging to Hicks that night.

Prosecutor Tim Twining asked Garcia why she thought Clark was driving the Tahoe.

"I gave it to him," Garcia said.

Garcia explained that several days earlier she and Clark had switched cars Clark normally drove a black Tahoe because his car had a broken CD player.

3:15

The prosecution called Veronica Garcia, the girlfriend of Brian Hicks. She is currently in jail in Douglas County. She testified that she has known Willie Clark for more than 10 years and that she "once considered him to be like a little brother to me."

Garcia said Clark was a member of the Tre Tre Crips gang from the east side of Denver.

2:05

Two


(Click to enlarge)
phone calls were played for the jury.
In the first, which was very difficult to understand, Hicks can be heard giving Clark permission to drive Hicks' vehicle while Hicks was in jail.

Hicks owns the white Tahoe that prosecutors said Clark was driving during the shooting.

In the second call, made the day after the shooting, Hicks is first heard talking to Veronica Garcia. Hicks told Garcia that he had been taken "to the hole" in jail and that he didn't understand what why he was being punished.

"They put me in this red jump suit or whatever. Put me in a van, took me to court. Had all police following me or whatever," Hicks said. "This is some bull---, I didn't do nothing."

Later in the call, Garcia told Hicks that Clark "broke" Hicks' Tahoe.

While Hicks and Garcia were on the phone, Clark called Garcia and she added Clark to the conversation. Hicks was angry with Clark for doing something with the Tahoe.

"I didn't crash the car," Clark said. "We're good, cuz. We're good."

Hicks then explained to Clark about his day, saying that he was suddenly being treated like "bid Laden" or the "Unabomber."

"They didn't say what for?" Clark said. "That stinks, cuz."

1:43

The first new witness called this afternoon was Sgt. Phil Swift of the Denver Sheriff's Department. Through Swift, the prosecution tried to admit two recorded phone calls that were made from the Denver jail by Brian Hicks to Willie Clark.

The first call was made on Dec. 19, 2006. The second was made on Jan. 2, 2007.

The defense objected to the admission of the full phone calls.

Swift was quickly dismissed from the witness stand before the tapes were played, and the prosecution called Det. Mike Martinez, a homicide detective from the Denver Police Department.

Martinez said that Willie Clark was the recepient of both of the phone calls from Hicks. Veronica Garcia was also on the call on Jan. 2, 2007.

1:30

Harris was excused from the witness stand before lunch, but when jurors returned from a one-hour break, they were shown video of an interview with Harris from June 5, 2008.

In that video, he was asked questions about the shooting. His comments in the video are mostly consistent with the testimony he gave on the witness stand here Monday and today.

"We're going down the street, and then all of a sudden, I see Willie shooting out the car at the white limousine," Harris said on the video. "We're speeding away, I remember telling him don't speed don't speed let me out let me out let me out."

On the video, Harris said he and his friend Vernon Edwards confronted Clark several days later, asking Clark to turn himself in.

"He said, 'What you guys expect me to do all day?'" Harris said, explaining that he believed Clark meant the rest of his life. "That's when I knew it wasn't going to be safe for me out here."

11:48

Prosecutor Tim Twining asked Harris about his actions.

Twining: "Were you the shooter?"

Harris: "No."

Twining: "Did you have a gun?"

Harris: "No."

Twining: I'm asking you under oath, did you shoot into that limousine?"

Harris: "No."

Twining: "Who was the man who shot into the limousine?

Harris. "Willie Clark. 100 percent."

11:43

Harris then clarified earlier testimony about what he saw during the shooting from his vantage point in the back seat of the Tahoe. He said Willie Clark was not leaning in front of Jackson-Keeling, who was in the front passenger seat.

"When he was shooting, he leaned over the passenger," Harris said. "I just know for sure he was shooting out that window, guaranteed.

11:40

When court resumed from the short break, Cantor continued to question Harris about prior felony convictions, which include a drive-by shooting, and his previous meetings with homicide investigators in this case.

Cantor read back to Harris statements Harris made in previous testimony or interviews, and Harris repeatedly said he did not remember his exact phrasing.

The defense's cross examination concluded at approximately 11:30 a.m.

Upon redirect examination, Harris identified photographs of Jackson-Keeling and Anderson.

10:25

Cantor showed Harris and the jury a series of photographs that were on a thumb drive Harris had with him when he returned from Mexico and was arrested at the Denver International Airport in June 2007.

Those photographs show Harris smiling and posing with bikini-clad women and several different men.

As Cantor showed the photographs, he asked Harris if they were taken while he was "fearing" for his life every day.

10:00

Cantor then recounted what happened outside The Shelter nightclub after it closed around 2 a.m. Jan. 1, 2007. Cantor repeated the details of the altercation previously given by prosecution witnesses: that Harris was in the middle of the confrontation with Broncos players and their friends.

Cantor asked Harris about "challenging these guys to fight."

"I don't recall anything like that," Harris said.

Cantor also asked what happened inside the club, and Harris confirmed his testimony from Monday afternoon, repeating that he didn't remember anyone spraying champagne or any Broncos players (Darrent Williams) trying to defuse a fight.

"I have no recollection of that," Harris said.

9:45

Cantor questioned Harris about his trip to Mexico shortly after the shooting. In Harris' testimony Monday, he told the jury he left because he feared for his safety because of what he knew about the shooting.

Cantor, in his cross-examination this morning, tried to make a case that Harris instead fled because he was guilty.

"You told a woman there that you were the one who shot Darrent Williams," Cantor said to Harris.

9:30

Defense attorney Darren Cantor questioned Harris about the multiple plea deals he reached in exchange for his testimony in this case.

Harris could have faced up to two life sentences for his role in a federal drug case and his involvement in this case. Instead, he could serve only five years, which includes the nearly three years he has already been in custody.

"In the time you have been in custody, you have repeatedly tried to sell your story to the government," Cantor said.

"There is no story," Harris replied. "It's the truth."

9:00 a.m.

Judge Christina Habas again sends two uncooperative witnesses back to jail on contempt charges.

Prosecutors have said Kataina "Markie" Jackson-Keeling and Mario Anderson, both friends of defendant Willie Clark, were passengers in the white Tahoe when the shooting occurred, with Jackson-Keeling sitting in the front passenger seat and Anderson in the rear behind Clark, who prosecutors said was driving.

Both Jackson-Keeling and Anderson were indicted last fall on charges of perjury and attempting to influence a public servant.

The sixth day of testimony in Clark's trial began with the prosecution's key witness, Daniel "Ponytail" Harris, back on the witness stand for further cross-examination from defense attorneys.

On Monday afternoon, Harris, who was riding in the backseat of the Tahoe, became the first witness to identify Clark as the shooter.

Harris is a federal prisoner and also in witness protection. He reached a plea deal in a drug case in exchange for his testimony, and defense attorneys are expected to attack his credibility.



Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_14497785#ixzz0h42Kyua7

Denver Native (Carol)
03-02-2010, 07:52 PM
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=133740&catid=339

DENVER - A man whose identity is now so protected a judge decided to forbid a sketch artist from sketching his face told a Denver jury on Tuesday he is "100 percent" certain Willie Clark shot at the limousine carrying Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams.

"Who did you see shooting into that limousine?" Denver prosecutor Tim Twining asked during day six of testimony in the Clark trial.

"Willie Clark," Daniel Harris replied. Harris says he was in the car with Clark when the shots were fired.

"The man seated there?" Twining said, as he pointed at Clark at the defense table.

"Yes," Harris said.

"You certain?" Twining said.

"100 percent," Harris replied.

Harris is part of the federal witness protection program. He is also in prison facing 10 years to a potential life sentence on an unrelated drug case. There is a catch, however. Should Harris testify "truthfully" during this trial federal prosecutors have agreed to recommend a sentence that could allow Harris to walk free within two or two-and-a-half years.

It is an issue Clark's defense team spent hours trying to exploit on Tuesday, day two of Harris's testimony.

"If you get what you expect (as part of this deal), you're going to be out in the community after that?" defense attorney Darren Cantor asked.

"I don't know what's going to happen," Harris replied.

"...if you get what you expect?" Cantor said.

"I don't know what's going to happen," Harris said.

Cantor, during opening statements, told the jury he believes Harris was one of the shooters that night, not Clark. Clark, he told the jury, was somewhere else and not in the car that drove up alongside the limousine.

Cantor believes Harris is only telling the jury what prosecutors want Harris to say. Harris' testimony is considered key because Harris, to date, has provided the only testimony at trial that directly attempts to implicate Clark.

If the jury ends up believing Harris, it could be devastating to Clark's defense. On the other side, if the jury has serious doubts about Harris's credibility, jurors could struggle with the lack of first-hand accounts of the actual crime.

Harris fled to Playa del Carmen shortly after the shootings. He says he did so to avoid being unfairly implicated in the crime. He also says he did so because of safety issues.

Clark's defense showed the jury four pictures of Harris while he was in Mexico, where it appeared Harris was enjoying his time there. Two of the pictures showed Harris smiling with bikini-clad women.

Tuesday afternoon, another witness who has been offered a deal by federal prosecutors took the stand.

Veronica Garcia, a one-time friend of Clark's, told the jury Clark was wearing a bullet-proof vest when he went out to celebrate on New Years Eve 2006. She also told the jury that Clark went out that night with a white Tahoe, the same kind of car the driver of the limo reported seeing leaving the scene immediately after the shooting.

Garcia also old the jury Clark asked her to provide him with an alibi.

"'If anyone asks where I was, tell them I was with you,'" Garcia said, using the words she said Clark told her.

Garcia is a three-time felon who agreed to testify in this case as part of a plea deal on a federal drug case with federal prosecutors. The deal required her to "testify truthfully" during the Clark trial.

The trial is now likely to go into a third week.

Denver Native (Carol)
03-03-2010, 09:20 PM
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14504490

Willie D. Clark, 26, is on trial in the death of Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams early New Year's Day 2007. Williams was riding in a stretch Hummer limousine near 11th Avenue and Speer Boulevard when a single bullet struck him in the neck.

Clark is charged with first-degree murder, 16 counts of attempted murder, two counts of second-degree assault, illegal discharge of a firearm and other crimes that could land him in prison for the rest of his life.

Clark's trial started Feb. 23; The Denver Post is blogging live from the proceedings.

5:30

After the jury was excused, Judge Habas addressed a protective order for a prosecution witness who was reluctant to testify because he feared for the safety of his children, mother and ex-wife.

Earlier in the day, Habas ordered that the news media covering the trial is prohibited from reporting the man's name. Christopher Beall, a lawyer representing The Denver Post, argued that the order was in violation of the First Amendment because the trial remains open to the public.

Because the witness' name is on the witness list that has been a public record for weeks, and his name was mentioned earlier in the trial, including during the prosecution's opening statement, Habas agreed, and shortly before 5 p.m., she told the witness he would not be granted protection.

"There is a U.S. Supreme Court case that is not directly on point but is darn close, that leaves me with the conclusion that once a witness's name becomes public knowledge, the First Amendment takes over, period," Habas said.

Habas said that allowing the witness to testify in private would violate Willie Clark's Constitutional right to a fair trial because numerous other witnesses who have also felt threatened were not given similar protection.

"As much empathy as I have for this witness, I cannot treat him specially," Habas said. "I cannot."

Beall said the media outlets print and broadcast alike — covering the trial might voluntarily agree to identify the witness by his first name only for the duration of the trial, out of concern for his children's privacy. After the trial is over, his full name could be used if it were deemed newsworthy.

The witness still refused to testify under those conditions, and Habas said he would be sent to jail on contempt charges.

Habas allowed the man to return home Wednesday night to speak further with his lawyer and family about the decision whether or not to testify. If he refuses on Thursday morning, he will be taken to jail.

Two other witnesses, Kaitana Jackson-Keeling and Mario Williams, have been held in contempt for a week for refusing to testify in this case.

Prosecutor Tim Twining said he did not want to "wade into the waters" of the First Amendment issues at stake, but argued vehemently for Habas to grant the witness protection.

"Accommodations are made," Twining said. "The people are going to be cheated of valuable evidence that is critical to our case."

4 p.m.

Defense attorneys spent only a few minutes cross-examining Grantham.

During that questioning, Grantham said he is in on parole, and a homicide investigator from this case spoke on his behalf at the parole hearing.

Habas excused the jury for the day at 4:05 p.m. to deal with other procedural matters related to Clark's trial. Testimony will resume at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

2:55 p.m.

The next prosecution witness was Denver police detective Aaron Lopez. He said he tried three times to get Kaitana "Markie" Jackson-Keeling, who was believed to have been in the Tahoe, to meet with police.

Lopez said that Jackson-Keeling refused each time.

The prosecution then called Joshua Grantham, who met Clark in jail.

Grantham testified that he was serving 15 years for aggravated robbery.

Grantham, who said he was a football fan, said that Clark made statements to him about Williams murder on multiple occasions.

In the first, Grantham said he was reading an article about the Denver Broncos in an NFL preview magazine.

"Willie Clark came up to me and said, 'That's still my squad.' He said, 'I don't like that b---- right there,'" and pointed, Grantham said. "It was of Javon Walker."

Grantham said at the time he did not know about Walker's role in the Williams shooting. Walker was inside the limo and held Williams after he was shot.

Grantham said the magazine included a "tribute article to Darrent Williams." Grantham said Clark saw this article.

"(Clark) was saying that he put that b---- to sleep," Grantham said.

Grantham said Clark also talked to him about other details of the shooting, including the vehicle, the Hummer limo.

"In our room, he opened up a lot," Grantham said. "He was a little more boastful."

Judge Christina Habas excused the jury for a 35-minute break. Defense attorneys will cross-examine Grantham starting at 3:30 p.m.

2:15 p.m.

Defense attorney Abraham Hutt continued his cross-examination of homicide Det. Mike Martinez when the jury returned around 1:35 p.m.

Hutt continued questioning meant to discredit Martinez, who has been called three times as a witness for the prosecution.

Hutt questioned Martinez about a discrepancy in license plates on a green SUV (associated with witness Felix Abram) and interviews with Broncos player Brandon Marshall.

Martinez also said that he has "misplaced" a surveillance video from the Sports Authority, located across the street from The Shelter club on Broadway.

Martinez said homicide investigators were able to view the tape from the Sports Authority before it was lost. Defense attorneys were not.

Martinez said investigators were also "too late" to get a surveillance video from the Arby's restaurant located on the same block as the club.

12:00 p.m.

Judge Habas allowed the admission of the jailhouse letter, and told jurors that she was the one who instructed investigators to get a handwriting sample from Willie Clark. The letter that was admitted to court is a photocopy, not the original.

"In general the rules of evidence require an original to be presented. In some cases, if there is an explanation for why an original cannot be used," Habas told the jury. "It is up to you if you accept the exhibit for what they claim it to be."

Jurors were then allowed to read the letter, which was shown on a screen. The letter was not read aloud in court.

Part of the letter says, "I am alone and abandoned because the Rican might say something stupid and talk to law enforcements about the death of D-Will. The Rican seen me with the gun and shoot out the whip."

Daniel "Ponytail" Harris has previously been identified in testimony as being referred to by associates as "The Rican."

"Whip" is slang for a vehicle.

Det. Mike Martinez obtained the handwriting sample from Clark in jail. Under cross-examination, Martinez said Clark admitted that it was his handwriting, but that Clark did not admit to writing the letter.

11:10 a.m.

During a short morning break, Judge Christina Habas ordered that the media covering the trial may not publish the name of a witness who will be called later today.

Prosecutors said the witness is fearful for his safety because of crimes, including a robbery, in which he was victimized and that he believes are related to his status as a witness in the Clark case.

The U.S. Supreme Court has previously ruled that "prior restraint" of the media is unconstitutional.

When court resumed at approximately 11 a.m., Denver homicide detective Mike Martinez returned to the witness stand for the third time. Today he is testifying about a jailhouse letter that prosecutors believe was written by Willie Clark.

The prosecution is arguing to allow the letter be admitted as an exhibit in the trial and be shown to the jury.

Defense attorney Abraham Hutt asked Martinez if the inmate who obtained the letter first tried to sell the letter, twice, to the Denver Broncos.

It was eventually given to and published by the Rocky Mountain News in August 2008.

At the time, Clark had yet to be charged in the murder of Darrent Williams

10:30 a.m.

Robert Fuller, an investigator for the Denver DA, confirmed under cross-examination by defense attorney Darren Cantor that he had helped with wire-tapping by federal investigators. This led to the admission of a phone call that was recorded on April 10, 2007, from the phone of Vernon Edwards, who is a friend of Daniel "Ponytail" Harris. The call was between Edwards and Harris.

The call took place while Harris was in Mexico, where he fled after the shooting. In Harris' testimony earlier this week, he said he left after the shooting because he feared for his and his family's safety.

The call was played in the courtroom for the jury, but it was difficult to understand everything that was said between Edwards and Harris.

Cantor then asked Fuller about an interview Fuller later helped conduct with Harris, in which Harris was asked about his conversations and relations with women during his time in Mexico.

During the cross examination of Harris on Tuesday, a defense attorney asked Harris if he had told a woman in Mexico that he had shot Bronco Darrent Williams, an anonymous tip that came from a Crimestoppers phone line. Harris said that he never told anyone that.

9:57

The jury was shown photographs recently taken by Fuller of Clark's tattoos.

The first showed his chest, with a "3" on each pectoral muscle each representing the word "Tre", Fuller said, and the letters "MOB", meaning "Money over b---."

Jurors also showed pictures of the tattoos on both of Clark's arms and his back.

The letters ES, for "east side" was on one arm, and "BOSS MONEY" is written across Clark's back.

"This is representative of loyalty to the gang above all else?" Twining asked.

"Yes," Fuller said.

9:44

Fuller testified that while known gang members are often reluctant to talk about crimes, members often don't hide their affiliations.

"Is it a violation of the codes not to "stand up and represent?" prosecutor Tim Twining asked Fuller.

"Absolutely," Fuller said. "They are proud of who they belong to."

9:35

Fuller, who testified as an expert witness, told the jury about the history of the Crips street gang, and particularly its history in Denver dating to the late 1980s.

Fuller said the Tre Tre Crips gang a subset of the larger organization originated on the east side of Denver, particularly in the area of 33rd Avenue, which determined the name "Tre Tre" for "three three."

Prosecutors and previous witnesses have identified Clark as being a member of the Tre Tre Crips.

Fuller spoke about gang culture, including the "code of silence."

"They don't talk to the police, they don't go to the police. And if we do get them involved, they will lie to us," Fuller said.

Clark's defense attorney's objected to numerous questions asked of Fuller by the prosecution, leading Judge Christina Habas to give additional instructions to the jury.

"Gang member in and of itself is not a crime," Habas said. "Make sure you do not mix this up. This is being given to you purely as context."

9:00

The two witnesses who have refused to testify against Willie Clark will be brought to court for a final time at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow.

Kataina "Markie" Jackson-Keeling and Mario Anderson, who prosecutors and witnesses have said were in the white Tahoe during the shooting, have been in jail on contempt charges since Feb. 24 for refusing to testify. Both were indicted last fall on perjury charges for allegedly lying to the grand jury in this case.

With the prosecution nearing the conclusion of its case, Jackson-Keeling and Anderson will return Thursday, at which time lawyers for both sides and Judge Christina Habas will come to a decision on how to deal with the situation.

Habas could speak to the jury about their status as witnesses, or Jackson-Keeling and Anderson could be forced to take the witness stand in front of the jury and refuse to testify.

When court resumes today, jurors are expected to hear testimony about gangs from Robert Fuller, who is an investigator for the Denver district attorney's office.

Italianmobstr7
03-04-2010, 02:08 AM
I think that Willie Clark is scum, and deserves life in prison. It's pretty obvious that he did it. "yeah, that's my handwriting but I'm not admitting to writing that." Sounds pretty damn stupid to me. It makes me sick to my stomach that he says the Broncos are "still my squad." He doesn't deserve to be a fan of any organization much less a great one like the Denver Broncos. He took a life of a young man over a stupid argument at a club. **** Willie Clark.

Davii
03-04-2010, 02:20 AM
I think Harris was the second shooter. It's obvious there was a second shooter, I mean, there were two calibers used.

From the statements of trajectory it's obvious one weapon was fired from the drivers side, one from the passenger side. If Harris is to be believed that Willie Clark leaned over his friend in the passenger seat to fire his weapon, then the only passenger side passenger that would've been shooting at the time is Harris.

If someone is leaning across you to shoot you're not going to turn your body to fire into the vehicle next to you. Although the passenger in the front could have been the second shooter I feel it is much less likely than the rear seat passenger side being the second shooter.

Obviously they had to offer Harris immunity in this case in order to get his testimony, but if they can prove that he was the second shooter would that not then negate his immunity in the case?

My understanding is he has been granted immunity to whatever crimes he testifies too, as already cleared by the DA. If new crimes come to light that he didn't previously disclose to the DA, and are proven, can he still be charged on those later?

T.K.O.
03-04-2010, 07:24 PM
pdated: March 4, 2010, 5:17 PM ET
Report: Broncos witness jailedEmail Print Comments 3Share retweet5Associated Press

DENVER -- A third witness in the trial of a man accused of killing Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams has been jailed for refusing to testify.

The Denver Post reported on its Web site that the witness was ordered to jail Thursday by Denver District Judge Christina Habas. The man said he feared for his life if reporters named him, and wouldn't testify even after media outlets agreed to identify him by only a first name.

Prosecutors wrapped up their case Thursday against Willie Clark, who is accused of shooting Williams after he left a Denver nightclub in 2007. Clark is a suspected gang member, and three witnesses so far have been jailed for refusing to testify against him.

Clark's defense opens Friday. He faces first-degree murder charges, and a possible life sentence if convicted.

Denver Native (Carol)
03-08-2010, 01:48 PM
Willie D. Clark, 26, is on trial in the death of Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams early New Year's Day 2007. Williams was riding in a stretch Hummer limousine near 11th Avenue and Speer Boulevard when a single bullet struck him in the neck.

Clark is charged with first-degree murder, 16 counts of attempted murder, two counts of second-degree assault, illegal discharge of a firearm and other crimes that could land him in prison for the rest of his life.

Clark's trial started Feb. 23; The Denver Post is blogging live from the proceedings.

11:30 a.m.

A forensic DNA analyst for the Denver crime lab called by the defense testified that Clark was the "major source" of DNA found on a Denver Nuggets baseball cap found in the white Chevrolet Tahoe police recovered following the homicide.

Analyst Shawn O'Toole testified Clark's DNA along with that of another person was found on the hat.

Clark was not the source of DNA from cigarettes, cigar tips, a Broncos hat and a yellow do-rag recovered from the Tahoe, O'Toole said.

On a cigar tip, O'Toole found the DNA of Travis Sanders.

Sanders' name was mentioned by witness Vernone Edwards who said Sanders went with him to clean up Veronica's Garcia's home.

Her house was used to spray-paint the Tahoe before it was dumped in Green Valley Ranch.

The defense could conclude their case today and prosecutors are expected to call rebuttal witnesses on Tuesday.

Also this morning, Habas dismissed a male juror whose wife had contacted the courtroom sketch artist, which is a violation of her order not to discuss the case with anyone.

The juror was not an alternate, but an alternate will now be moved on to the jury to take his place.

9:55 a.m.

Citing threats he said he has received, Clark has told Judge Christina Habas that he will not testify in the trial. Clark's attorneys said the threats, directed at Clark and his family, have been referred to police, but were not more specific.

"I choose not to," Clark said. "I received threats about this issue right here about me testifying or not."

Habas asked him how the threats impacted his decision.

"I actually wanted to (testify)," Clark said. "But I can't protect my family so why would I put myself in that situation?"

Clark's attorney Darren Cantor said he received a report of the threats last year and changes to security around Clark and his attorneys were made by Sheriff's deputies.

"These are not just some amorphous, imaginary threats," Cantor said.

Cantor added that the type of vehicles that would be used were contained in the threat and included information that multiple Crip gang members would be involving carrying AK-47 weapons.

Prosecutor Tim Twining said he considered the threats "street hearsay" but turned over the information to the defense out of caution.

Denver Native (Carol)
03-08-2010, 01:53 PM
So, Clark will not testify - i.e. his reason - because he and his family have received threats if he does testify. Is this nothing more than a PLOY on Clark's part - trying to convince the jury that if he testified, he would testify that he was not the one who killed Darrent, rather that (insert name) is the one who did it, therefore putting himself and his family at risk for retaliation.:tsk:

T.K.O.
03-08-2010, 02:01 PM
So, Clark will not testify - i.e. his reason - because he and his family have received threats if he does testify. Is this nothing more than a PLOY on Clark's part - trying to convince the jury that if he testified, he would testify that he was not the one who killed Darrent, rather that (insert name) is the one who did it, therefore putting himself and his family at risk for retaliation.:tsk:

yeah sounds like the only thing the defense could come up with to throw the jury off his trail.
sounds alot like how O.J. said he wanted to get out there and find the real killers.
i doubt the jury buys into this...even though there is somebody not telling the truth about who else was firing guns....i think clark was definately one of them

nevcraw
03-08-2010, 09:02 PM
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4976525

DENVER -- Gang threats against the life of a man accused of shooting and killing Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams were specific and credible enough that authorities changed security measures and advised attorneys to be aware for their safety, a defense attorney said.

The threats reported to Denver authorities last March detailed plans for vehicles full of "Crip gang members" armed with AK-47s with orders to make Willie Clark "Swiss cheese" if he said anything in court, Clark's attorney, Darren Cantor, said Monday in explaining why his client won't testify on his own behalf.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Timothy Twining told District Judge Christina Habas that the threats were made in a case unrelated to Williams' slaying. Clark and two other men face murder charges in the December 2006 slaying of a key witness who was scheduled to testify in another case.

"I actually wanted to [testify] because I have nothing to hide," Clark told Habas. "But, I mean, I can't protect my family so why would I put myself in that situation?"

Habas told Clark: "I respect your decision not to testify," later adding that Clark didn't bring up the threats when he refused to testify until hearing all defense witnesses.

The details of the threat were passed along to Clark's defense attorneys in a memo, which wasn't immediately available Monday. Denver Sheriff's Capt. Frank Gale said a sheriff's deputy was told of the threat while working security at a nightclub frequented by suspected gang members, and that was passed along to prosecutors.

Gale said security measures, which include two security screenings to get into the courtroom and a ban of cameras on an entire floor of the Denver courthouse, are unrelated to the alleged threat.

Outside of court, Denver district attorney's spokeswoman Lynn Kimbrough dismissed Cantor's characterization of a credible threat and said no arrests or charges resulted from an ensuing investigation. "The sum total of all of this was a memo," Kimbrough said.

Clark's refusal to testify came on the 11th day of testimony in which witnesses have been jailed for refusing to testify, with some saying they're too afraid. During the trial, two jurors have also been excused by Habas for unspecified reasons, leaving four alternates on the panel. Closing arguments could be heard as early as Tuesday afternoon.

Williams was in a limousine with other football players when he was shot on New Year's Day 2007. They had just left a nightclub where prosecutors say Williams' group got into an altercation with a group that included Clark, a suspected gang member who goes by the street name "Little Let Loose," or "Little Let." The altercation started inside the nightclub when a member of the Broncos players' entourage sprayed champagne on revelers celebrating the New Year.

Earlier in the trial, a witness who said he was a passenger in a white SUV that Clark was allegedly driving identified Clark as the shooter. The witness, Daniel "Ponytail" Harris, is under federal protection and Clark's attorneys have questioned his motives, saying he has gotten multiple plea deals for his testimony.

Defense attorneys say another man fired the shots that killed Williams.

On Monday, a man who investigators say intercepted a jailhouse letter implicating Clark in the shooting agreed to testify after refusing to do so earlier. He testified that he found the letter stuffed in a law book in a library meant for a co-defendant in the other murder case Clark is facing.

In that case, Kalonniann Clark, who is not related to Willie Clark, had been scheduled to testify in a drug case in 2005 when she was shot outside a nightclub. She survived that attempt on her life and was scheduled to testify against her alleged attacker when she was killed a day before a pretrial hearing in December 2006. Clark and two others face charges in that case.


Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

Denver Native (Carol)
03-08-2010, 09:20 PM
From above article:

"Chief Deputy District Attorney Timothy Twining told District Judge Christina Habas that the threats were made in a case unrelated to Williams' slaying. Clark and two other men face murder charges in the December 2006 slaying of a key witness who was scheduled to testify in another case.

Habas told Clark: "I respect your decision not to testify," later adding that Clark didn't bring up the threats when he refused to testify until hearing all defense witnesses."

So, if the threats were made in a case unrelated to this case?????????????:confused:, how can that be a valid reason for him NOT wanting to testify in his own defense?

Denver Native (Carol)
03-09-2010, 03:00 PM
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14640733

Dismissed juror Ray Barrientos was prepared to find Willie Clark guilty of murdering Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams and believes his former fellow jurors will do the same.

There is no specific piece of evidence that made Barrientos reach his decision, rather pieces of all the testimony he heard from all the witnesses that lead him to believe Clark was driving and shooting at the NFL player's limousine.

"The evidence is there," Barrientos said during an interview today. "So many things point to Willie as one of the shooters. There is no denying Clark was there."

Barrientos, 42, was dismissed from the jury on Monday after his wife sent an e-mail to courtroom sketch artist Pat Lopez in hopes of obtaining a sketch of the proceedings. He offered his opinion before hearing how the judge will instruct the jurors.

He was forbidden to discuss the case with other jurors, but suspects they have had the same reactions to testimony and evidence he had. The case will go to the jury later today.

Barrientos said he was partly relieved to be dismissed because the trial is draining and the jurors will be responsible for making a life-changing decision.

He was surprised he was seated as a juror because he grew up around gangs in Denver and was a victim of a shooting when he was young.

While Barrientos said he didn't believe all the testimony he heard from prosecution witnesses, he said Veronica Garcia seemed to be telling the truth because she had nothing to gain, despite her plea deal on her drug case.

"Veronica seemed to be speaking the truth only because she wasn't there at all that night," Barrientos said.

Garcia was the girlfriend of Brian Hicks, the owner of the Chevrolet Tahoe prosecutors believe was used in the drive-by shooting.

She told the jury Clark confessed to her that he was involved in a shooting and that he asked her for an alibi and to help him dump the Tahoe.

Barrientos said he didn't put much weight on the letter that prosecutors say Clark wrote in jail confessing to the homicide.

And he especially did not believe the testimony of Daniel "Ponytail" Harris, who got a plea deal in exchange for his testimony and is expected to go into the federal witness protection program.

"I couldn't believe a damn thing he said," Barrientos said. "He is the second shooter. It sucks that they will only be able to convict one of the two."

Barrientos said he is disappointed that prosecutors made a deal with Harris.

"How do we go about trying Daniel Harris?" Barrientos said, "because he is getting away with 16 counts of attempted murder."

Barrientos believes it's possible that Clark was driving and shooting at the same time and he believes he killed Williams. He believes that Harris was shooting down at the limousine from a back passenger seat and he may have only intended to scare people in the limo.

Barrientos said he was didn't believe the testimony of Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

"He pictured himself as the saint," Barrientos said, adding that he believes Marshall was not behaving appropriately at the club that night.

"Brandon Marshall was the target," Barrientos said.

Barrientos said the defense's theory that Clark is a scapegoat did gain his consideration, but he doesn't believe that the gang members were smart enough to frame Clark.

"If he is found guilty he should do life in prison," Barrientos said. "Society has no room for that kind of person."

T.K.O.
03-10-2010, 11:43 AM
Jury ponders Willie Clark's fate
Posted by Mike Florio on March 10, 2010 11:35 AM ET
The man who allegedly shot and killed Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams soon could be the man who, in the eyes of the law, actually shot and killed Darrent Williams.

After a Tuesday afternoon full of lengthy closing arguments, jurors will be rolling up their sleeves and making a decision today.

As an 18-year veteran of the process, I can say with certainty that the only certainty about the jury system is that it's inherently uncertain. Jury deliberations routinely feature consideration of factors and personal anecdotes and other stuff that never would be admissible in the trial itself. Still, it's the ultimate American sausage factory, with the system being the best that man could devise, even though the process often is as savory as a stroll through a slaughterhouse.

One of the jurors, Ray Barrientos, told the Denver Post on Tuesday that he believes Clark was guilty as charged. Barrientos, who was booted after his wife contacted the courtroom sketch artist in the hopes of obtaining one of the drawings, also said he believes that other jurors reacted to the evidence in the same way he did.

Barrientos said he was surprised that he was added to the jury, given that he grew up around gangs in Denver and was once a shooting victim. Surely, Barrientos would have shared extensive details about his own experiences with the other jurors, if he had made it to the jury room for deliberations. And his opinion regarding guilt would have been given weight by at least some of the other jurors.

Barrientos also had harsh words for receiver Brandon Marshall: "He pictured himself as the saint," Barrientos said. "Brandon Marshall was the target."

We'll report on the verdict as soon as it's reached. We have a feeling it won't take long.

Unless the jury decides (as many other juries have done in the past) to hang out in the jury room for a couple of hours so that everyone else will think they really wrestled with their decision.

Besides, why let the donuts go to waste?

T.K.O.
03-10-2010, 07:00 PM
As Willie Clark jury deliberates, dismissed alternates said they would acquit
Posted by Mike Florio on March 10, 2010 6:14 PM ET
The jury that is pondering whether Willie Clark killed Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams has spent nearly a full day deliberating the evidence.

The two alternate jurors who were dismissed once deliberations began had a strong opinion about the case: They would not have convicted Clark.

According to Felisa Cardona of the Denver Post, one of the jurors (a 24-year-old African-American man who asked to remain nameless) said that he believes Clark was set up by gang members who wanted Clark to take the fall for the murder.

"There was not enough evidence," the juror said. "Maybe if [the prosecution] had good witnesses."

The juror said that he thinks everyone involved in the incident should have been charged. "I think all of them were friends and maybe he is like their little homie and they just put him under," the juror said.

"Alternate" jurors are extra jurors who sit through the trial in the event that one of the main jurors leaves the case, for whatever reason. Typically, the alternate jurors are dismissed from service once the trial ends and deliberations begin.

The fact that both of the alternates would have acquitted Clarks makes it unlikely that all 12 jurors will unanimously vote to convict. Thus, it's possible that the jury will be unable to reach a verdict. It's also possible that there will be an acquittal.

UPDATE: As of 4:45 p.m. local time, the jury wrapped up Day One of deliberations, per Lindsay Jones of the Denver Post. They'll be back in the morning.

LordTrychon
03-11-2010, 01:54 PM
http://cbs4denver.com/local/verdict.willie.clark.2.1554186.html




Jurors deliberating the case against a man accused of firing the shots that killed Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams have reached a verdict.

Jurors began deliberating the Willie Clark case Wednesday morning.

Clark is charged with first-degree murder in the New Year's Day 2007 shooting.

Prosecutors said Clark went into a murderous rage after a confrontation at a nightclub, and that he later told friends he fired the fatal shots.

Defense attorneys say Clark wasn't in a vehicle that pulled up besides Williams' rented limousine when someone inside fired the shots. They say Clark is being made a scapegoat.

Ravage!!!
03-11-2010, 01:54 PM
Jurors reach verdict in trial

DENVER -- Jurors have reached a verdict in the trial of a man charged with murdering Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams.

The decision was expected to be read in court shortly.

Defendant Willie Clark was taken to the courtroom Thursday to hear the decision.

Williams was killed on New Year's Day 2007.

Prosecutors say Clark fired the fatal shots from an SUV that pulled up beside a rented limo carrying Williams and some friends.

Defense attorneys say Clark is a scapegoat who wasn't even in the SUV.

Prosecutors say Clark was angry over an altercation between two groups in a nightclub just before the shooting.


Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4986105

LordTrychon
03-11-2010, 01:56 PM
Yeah, I just bumped the other thread. Beat you to it, barely.

Well worth its own thread.

I have to leave for work shortly. Hope they announce before then.

Then again, they could upset me as well....

Buff
03-11-2010, 02:10 PM
Guilty of 1st degree murder. Rot in prison mother******.

LordTrychon
03-11-2010, 02:10 PM
GUILTY!

http://twitter.com/DenverCourts

LordTrychon
03-11-2010, 02:11 PM
NOW....

Once again,

RIP, Darrent Williams.

You are missed.

arapaho2
03-11-2010, 06:38 PM
http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d816e380c&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true

Suspected gang member convicted in slaying of Broncos' Williams

NFL.com Wire Reports

Suspected gang member Willie Clark was found guilty of murder in the 2007 drive-by shooting death of Denver Broncos (http://www.broncosforums.com/teams/denverbroncos/profile?team=DEN) cornerback Darrent Williams (http://www.nfl.com/players/darrentwilliams/profile?id=WIL207490).
Clark showed no emotion Thursday in Denver as the verdict was read, but he leaned back and looked at the ceiling once the jury was dismissed. He gave a small smile to relatives before he left the courtroom in handcuffs.

http://static.nfl.com/static/content/catch_all/nfl_image/r_williams_100311_IA.jpgDavid Zalubowski / Associated PressRosalind Williams, the mother of late Broncos CB Darrent Williams, wipes away tears Thursday in Denver after a man was convicted in her son's 2007 shooting death.
Clark faces life in prison at his April 30 sentencing hearing.
Williams' mother, Rosalind, wept as she left the courtroom.
"We'll never know what happened that night," she said later. "This is a start, to clean up the streets here and hopefully everywhere else."
There was no immediate word on a possible appeal, but defense attorney Darren Cantor told three sobbing people in the courtroom, "Try to breathe, OK? That's what appeals are for." Cantor told reporters that Clark's family was upset and didn't want to speak to reporters.
The jury deliberated for a day and a half after an 11-day trial, then convicted Clark on all 21 counts that he faced, including murder for Williams' death and attempted murder for the 16 other people who were in a Hummer stretch limo with the cornerback.
"Nothing can ever bring Darrent Williams back or ease the suffering for Rosalind and her grandchildren. But after three long years, it is very gratifying to see closure brought to this case," Broncos owner Pat Bowlen said in a statement released by the team Thursday. "This process has been extremely difficult for the Williams family, his friends and teammates, this community, and the entire Denver Broncos organization.
"I would like to praise the long and hard work of the Denver Police Department and the Denver District Attorney's Office," Bowlen added. "I also want to thank the Denver community for the overwhelming support that both the Williams family and the Broncos have received during this unimaginable tragedy.
"Darrent's legacy will live on for all of us in the Broncos organization, and the outstanding work done each day at the Darrent Williams Memorial Teen Center is a tribute to his impact on this community. Our hearts continue to go out to the entire Williams family."
Security was tight throughout the trial, and 13 armed sheriff's deputies stood in the courtroom as the verdict was read. Clark declined to testify, citing threats to himself and his family. Cantor said gang members had threatened to turn Clark into "Swiss cheese" if he said anything in court.
Williams was killed at about 2 a.m. on New Year's Day 2007. Prosecutors said Clark fired the fatal shots from an SUV that pulled up beside the rented limo.
"It was this man, who indiscriminately, with universal maliciousness ... took it upon himself to unload his .40-caliber handgun into that limousine full of innocent people," Chief Deputy District Attorney Timothy Twining said in his closing argument earlier this week.
Clark was angry over an altercation, involving his friends and friends of Williams, that occurred in a nightclub just before the shooting, prosecutors said. A member of Williams' group had sprayed champagne on New Year's partiers.

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Defense attorney Abraham Hutt said during the trial that Clark wasn't even in the SUV during the shooting.
"This is what this is about: Willie Clark is a scapegoat," Hutt told jurors.
Hutt tried to undercut the credibility of five prosecution witnesses who received shorter prison time in other cases in exchange for testifying. Hutt said the five saw their sentences reduced by a combined 188 years.
Hutt said the prosecution's star witness, Daniel "Ponytail" Harris, faced a life sentence for a drug charge but will be released within two years. Harris testified that he saw Clark fire the shots.
The defense suggested during the trial that Harris had fired into the limo. Harris hasn't been charged in the case.
A written exchange between the jurors and District Judge Christina Habas during deliberations seemed to center on the possibility that someone else was involved in the shooting.
Jurors asked Habas if complicity was enough for a conviction. Habas answered that it was, if prosecutors met their burden of proof -- even if jurors found that someone else committed all or part of a murder.
On Thursday, Habas asked the jurors whether any of them had been texting or e-mailing during the deliberations. The foreman replied in writing, "No one has claimed to have sent any text or e-mail."
It wasn't clear why Habas raised the question. After the verdict was read, court officials said jurors didn't want to comment.
Williams was 24 and in his second season with the Broncos when he died. He already was a starter and had four interceptions in the 2006 season, second-best on the team. He was tied for third in tackles with 86.
"The guy had an excellent future ahead of him, and to see it cut short senselessly by violence, it's just really sad," said Nick Ferguson (http://www.broncosforums.com/players/nickferguson/profile?id=FER284112), a former Broncos safety who played with Williams.
"As elated as I am, as happy as I am over the conviction, it won't bring Darrent back to his mom or to his kids," Ferguson added. "But I do know, after all this time, this means a lot for his family. Maybe now, Darrent can rest in peace."
Williams was a native of Fort Worth, Texas, and a star cornerback at O.D. Wyatt High School there. He played at Oklahoma State, where he was a 2003 All-Big 12 Conference selection. The Broncos made him their second-round pick, 56th overall, in the 2005 draft.
In December, Williams had said he wanted to return to Fort Worth in the 2007 offseason to talk to kids about staying out of gangs.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

sneakers
03-14-2010, 01:36 AM
Still kinda weird that he was killed in the first place!