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American Morning

Gold Club Trial: Atlanta Braves Outfielder Testifies

Aired July 25, 2001 - 10:16   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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We focus on a story that continues here in Atlanta, the Gold Club racketeering trial goes on and the parade of sports celebrities apparently is continuing on the witness stand, as well. Atlanta Braves outfielder Andruw Jones appearing this morning. With more on that let's bring in our Brian Cabell -- Brian.

BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, as was the case with Patrick Ewing just a couple of days ago, Andruw Jones' testimony this morning was very brief and to the point. Here is his story.

He said back in 1996 or '97 he went to the Gold Club and was approached by Steve Kaplan, the owner of the Gold Club, who is now on trial upstairs with six other individuals. And he said he was asked by Kaplan, "Do you want to go to a party?" Jones said, "Yes," and he was taken by limo to the Hotel Nikko, which is an upscale hotel in Atlanta, in the Buckhead section of Atlanta. Upstairs, he saw two girls, he said, in one of the rooms along with five or six men. He said the women at that point were engaging in lesbian sex. After a while that changed to oral sex with the men and then a while after that that became intercourse with the men.

He was asked specifically by the attorney, "Did you engage in intercourse with them?" He said, "Yes." As I said, it was very brief and to the point. He said he left the hotel after about an hour, went back to the Gold Club. He said he was feeling a little uncomfortable at that time.

He said he was very fond of the Gold Club over the years. He's been there, he says, at least 30 times. He would say that yes, he was a regular. Again, he is the second big name athlete to show up this week. The prosecutors are trying to show an overall racketeering indictment. Prostitution is just one of those many charges against him.

As for Jones, he will be a very busy man today. He plays a ball game at 1:00 this afternoon in Atlanta.

I'm Brian Cabell, CNN, live in Atlanta.

KAGAN: Brian, thank you very much. And we should point out, as was the case with Patrick Ewing, the celebrities, the sports celebrities are not charged with anything in this case. They're simply being called as witnesses and clearly have an embarrassing assignment of talking about their experiences at the Gold Club for the purposes of this trial.

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