Ex-Wyoming Football Player Seeks Retrial in Sex Assault Case
LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) — A former University of Wyoming football player who was signed by the New Orleans Saints has asked for a new trial after pleading no contest to sexual battery and unlawful touching.
The Laramie Boomerang reported Friday that Carl Granderson's attorney told a judge that Granderson wants to withdraw his plea. He has also asked to have his six-month jail sentence overturned.
The grounds for Granderson's challenge have not been made public. Some court documents in the case were filed under seal, and defense attorney Megan Overman Goetz told the newspaper she couldn't comment.
Granderson was a defensive end for Wyoming. Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis said last week the team was waiting to see the outcome of the court case before deciding what action to take.
Granderson was originally charged with third-degree sexual assault, which can carry a prison term of up to 10 years. In a deal with prosecutors, he pleaded no contest to lesser charges, and prosecutors recommended a sentence of one year of unsupervised probation.
Judge Tori Kricken rejected the sentence and imposed the jail term during a July 11 hearing.
After listening to emotional testimony from two students who said Granderson molested them as they slept at his apartment, the judge said Granderson's actions demonstrated "very little sense of responsibility."