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CNN Live Today

Manslaughter Arraignment Starting Soon for Jayson Williams

Aired June 07, 2002 - 14:12   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now we got some more news from another courtroom this morning. An arraignment is due to start in a few minutes for a former basketball star accused in the shooting death of a limousine driver at his New Jersey estate.

CNN's Maria Hinojosa is standing by in Flemington, New Jersey. That's where Jayson Williams is going to be facing aggravated manslaughter and other charges soon.

Hello, Maria.

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Leon.

Well we're waiting for Jayson Williams to show up. The arraignment is set to begin at 2:30. And he is expected to pleading not guilty to charges of first-degree manslaughter and charges of witness tampering and evidence tampering, all of this stemming from the February 14 shooting death of limo driver Costas Christofi.

Now we know his lawyer has told us that he will plead not guilty -- Jayson Williams will plead not guilty because he says this was an accident not a crime. The former NBA New Jersey Nets star had a $94 million contract with the Nets that stopped after he broke his leg.

Now what happened on February 14? Costas Christofi allegedly taking Jayson Williams home and several people, and invited him into his home. He was showing him some of his gun collection, the shotgun goes off, Christofi is shot, and a call to 911 comes in.

Now later police are told that Jayson Williams saying that Christofi had committed suicide. At first Williams is charged with reckless manslaughter. But one month after the shooting, just one month after the shooting, investigators uncover evidence pointing to perhaps Jayson Williams tampering with evidence, allegedly rubbing off his fingertips, his -- from the shotgun and putting on Christofi's fingerprints on that. And also saying that he told friends there who were there when the shooting occurred to say that they were not in the presence of the shooting.

Now all of this means then that the charge was elevated to first- degree manslaughter. And charges of witness tampering and evidence tampering, two other people charged in conspiracy with helping Jayson Williams to do this, one of them turning state's witness, agreeing to testify against James -- Jayson Williams. If he is found guilty of the first-degree manslaughter charge, he faces 30 degrees -- I'm sorry, 30 years maximum in prison -- Leon.

HARRIS: Maria Hinojosa, thank you very much. We'll check back with you later on.

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