Syracuse University running back Delone Carter was arraigned in Syracuse City Court on Monday on a misdemeanor third-degree assault charge related to an incident that occurred during the early hours of Feb. 27.

Carter was officially suspended from the university and banned from campus, said his lawyer, George Raus. Syracuse University spokesman Kevin Morrow said he cannot comment on Carter’s status as a student. But Carter is still enrolled at SU, Morrow said.

During Monday’s arraignment, Raus entered a “not guilty” plea for Carter, and though the case was adjourned until a June 2 pretrial conference, Raus said he intends on pushing forward sooner and moving the target date up.

Raus said he is not worried about the criminal charges, but said he is concerned about the course of action the university will take. An appeals process to reinstate Carter at SU will begin in the next few days, Raus said.

“They suspended him because of the arrest,” Raus said. “So there’s nothing we can do. The fact that he was charged with a crime means he was suspended, so we’re going to have to live with it.”

“The charges are very weak. It’s ‘he said, she said.’ I think a third-year law student could beat the case,” he said. “I’m confident with the criminal charges. I’m not confident with the university.”

SU Athletics said it is a university issue and deferred further comment to SU public relations.

Carter, who Raus said is currently staying with friends off campus in Syracuse during the suspension, was charged with assault for punching fellow student William Hotaling, a junior in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, in the face.

Carter, teammate Ryan Gillum and another unnamed person were driving in a black SUV when it was struck by a snowball on the 300 block of Waverly Avenue around 1 a.m., according to police reports

Surveillance cameras show three people exiting the vehicle and confronting Hotaling and his roommate, Alex Fay, near Kimmel Hall. Carter then struck Hotaling once in the face, causing him to fall to the ground while the three returned to the SUV and drove away, according to the report.

Hotaling sustained injuries depicted in a pair of photographs he released to the media. The first, a snapshot of himself in a hospital bed, shows Hotaling in a neck brace with several large red marks on the right side of his face and his right eye swollen shut.

A second photo, which Hotaling said was taken the next day, shows his right eye bright purple and nearly swollen shut.

The arraignment marks the end of a highly speculated week for Carter and Gillum, a linebacker on the football team who was brought into questioning with Carter before the team’s practice Wednesday.

Raus said the two were deprived of their constitutional rights upon arrest. The two were taken downtown at roughly 2:30 p.m., but Raus said he did not speak to his client until around 10 p.m. Charges were officially levied at 9:30 p.m.

It was during that time Raus said he believes both Carter and Gillum were held handcuffed to the floor at the police department and that Gillum, who was not charged, was intimidated into telling police that Carter was guilty.

Syracuse police detective Duane Rood could not be reached for comment Monday night to confirm Raus’ comments.

“They brought them both to headquarters, they weren’t under arrest, and they held them handcuffed to the floor,” Raus said. “And poor Ryan, I think he just felt the weight of the world — they threatened him with everything. They were both handcuffed to the floor like animals.”

Raus said his client, Carter, doesn’t harbor any negative feelings toward Gillum in the incident.

Both Carter and Gillum were slated starters for the Orange heading into the team’s 2010 Spring Game Saturday, but neither played.

 

Published on April 19, 2010 at 12:00 pm