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CNN Live Today

Allen Iverson Awaiting Arraignment

Aired July 16, 2002 - 12:12   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now moving on to a busy morning for basketball superstar turned suspected felon Allen Iverson. He turned himself in to police before dawn today. He was fingerprinted, booked and now awaits arraignment.

Josie Karp with CNN Sports is keeping watch at the Philadelphia police station -- Josie.

JOSIE KARP, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

We've actually heard from a police spokesperson that Allen Iverson is 18th in line to be arraigned here at Philadelphia police headquarters. And it has been a very long day for him. At around 5:20 a.m., he turned himself here -- he turned himself in here at police headquarters. He made his way from his suburban Philadelphia home to the headquarters via motorcade. He was with his lawyer, Richard Sprague.

He made a comment several hours later. When asked what his client would plead, Sprague said he will plead a loud not guilty. But that plea won't be answered until his arraignment. And that, according to a police spokesman, is still several hours away. The spokesman said it probably won't happen until sometime between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m.

Police have been adamant that Iverson, even though he has this high profile stature in the community locally and nationally and even globally, is getting the same treatment as every other prisoner. But they allowed that they are doing at least one thing differently.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SYLVESTER JOHNSON, PHILADELPHIA POLICE COMMISSIONER: He's still being processed by the police department. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) at this point he's being fingerprinted, photographed. His attorney wants to talk, when they think it's a proper thing to do, have his attorney put him into a room, not a cell, but put attorney into a room where they can type and they can interview (UNINTELLIGIBLE), and you have no space (UNINTELLIGIBLE) for that. And we put him up to homicide for that purpose to happen. There's nothing unusual about that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KARP: The actual arraignment of Iverson probably won't take more than a couple of minutes, according to a police spokesperson. At that point in time, he will enter his plea, the charges will be read and a bail will be set. If he posts bail, then he can leave immediately after that.

Other things we might learn today, we could get a little more detail about what the charges are. Over the weekend, we already learned that when they impounded a car of Iverson's they did discovered some shards of glass. And what was originally thought to be blood, the police have now said was probably some substance in the car that was left there by his children.

What we still don't know at this point is whether police have recovered the alleged weapon that goes along with one of the felony counts. And whether they discover that alleged weapon or not probably will go a long way, Kyra, towards determining just how far this case ever actually gets.

PHILLIPS: Josie, do you have any idea how this is going to affect his basketball career, his contract? Has there been talk about that?

KARP: Well there has been some talk about it. First of all, the general manager of the 76ers and his coach have come out and said, hey, he is innocent until proven guilty. We're going to see how this is played out in the courts. However, there's also been a report that Allen Iverson's contract with the Sixers can be voided if he is convicted of a crime.

And the NBA that oversees the entire league does have the authority, if he is convicted of a violent felony, they have to suspend him for a minimum of 10 games. It could also be much more, depending on what the commissioner of the NBA wants to do. But they will also tell you that this is an unusual situation. They can't remember a time when a player has been convicted of a felony; and that's certainly a long way down the road for Iverson, if that ever happens.

PHILLIPS: Josie Karp, right there in front of the Philadelphia police station, thank you.

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