PHOENIX (AP) — A judge in Phoenix will hold a hearing Wednesday in which lawyers for former NFL All-Pro safety Darren Sharper will challenge the evidence used to keep him in jail without bail on charges that he drugged and sexually assaulted two women in Arizona.
The hearing before Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Warren Granville marks the latest development in several ongoing sexual assault investigations involving Sharper, 38, in Louisiana, California, Florida, Arizona and Nevada.
He was previously released from jail in a rape case in California on $1 million bail, but was denied bail in the Arizona case.
Sharper will not attend Wednesday’s hearing.
Sharper, 38, was indicted in Arizona last month on charges of sexual assault and administering dangerous drugs. He is accused of giving the sedative zolpidem to three women and then had “sexual intercourse or oral sexual contact” with two of them without their consent on Nov. 21 at an apartment in Tempe.
Sharper has not yet entered a plea in the Arizona case, although one of his attorneys said Sharper will deny those allegations. He also has pleaded not guilty in the California case.
Arizona’s Constitution automatically denies bail to people charged with sexual assault if the proof against them is evident or the presumption of guilt is great.
Earlier this month in the Arizona case, Granville denied a request from Sharper’s attorneys to set bail, ruling that he didn’t have jurisdiction until the former player was in Arizona.
Sharper’s attorneys said the former player is entitled to a hearing to determine whether Arizona prosecutors have enough evidence on the sexual assault charges to deny him bail.
Prosecutors in metro Phoenix said they won’t seek to extradite Sharper until his sexual-assault case in California is resolved.
About Post Author
