Williams Makes Innocent Plea Again
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FLEMINGTON, N.J. — Jayson Williams pleaded innocent again in the shooting death of a limousine driver.
The ex-NBA player already had pleaded innocent last year to a similar list of charges, only to have prosecutors substitute a new indictment this month.
Williams and his wife were in court Thursday. His lawyer entered the plea and Williams remained free on $270,000 bail.
The new indictment adds a weapons offense to the seven charges Williams already faced in the death of Costas “Gus” Christofi, increasing the possible prison sentence by 10 years.
The 35-year-old Williams could face nearly 55 years in prison if convicted on all charges, the most serious being aggravated manslaughter. The judge said a trial could begin about Sept. 15.
Williams is accused of recklessly handling the shotgun that killed Christofi and then trying to make the driver’s shooting death look self-inflicted. The shooting occurred Feb. 14, 2002, inside Williams’ mansion in rural New Jersey.
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