Tennessee judge declines to issue verdict in Ja Morant lawsuit

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MEMPHIS, Tennessee (AP) — A Tennessee judge said Wednesday she would not immediately rule on whether Ja Morant’s legal team successfully argued that the NBA star is immune from a lawsuit filed by the teen who He threw a punch during a pickup game. 2022.

According to commercial appealShelby County Circuit Court Judge Carroll Chumney said she needed more time because of the lack of relevant material for the trial.

“Everyone was expecting a big decision, or a final decision, or something like that,” Chumney said. “These are important legal issues.”

Wednesday’s court session was a continuation of the hearing that began on December 11. The hearing focused on Morant’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit under Tennessee’s so-called land law. Attorneys for the NBA player argue that Morant is immune from liability under the law, which allows people who feel threatened in their own homes to use force in certain situations. The statute is used in criminal cases, but Chumney’s ruling last month The way was cleared for Morant’s lawyers to apply it in the civil case.

The lawsuit filed by Joshua Holloway accuses Morant of assaulting him when the Memphis Grizzlies All-Star guard punched him during a pickup game at Morant’s parents’ home on July 26, 2022. Then aged 17, Holloway was invited to play on a private court. Of the Morant family. Holloway is now 18 years old and plays for Samford University.

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Morant says he was defending himself During a check-ball situation Holloway aggressively threw a basketball at him with a one-handed, baseball-style pass and hit him in the face. The “check” is a common practice in pickup games in which two opposing players pass the ball to each other and check to see if their teammates are ready, often before starting the game or after a foul. .

Additionally, the NBA suspended Morant for the first 25 games of this season after a video of him polishing handcuffs Was posted online. The video shows Morant sitting in the passenger seat of a car and was posted after the service eight game suspension for another video in March in which he displayed a handgun at a Denver-area strip club.

Ja Morant’s father, Tee Morant, has testified that the family has for years invited young local basketball players and Ja Morant’s friends to play on their full-size home court. Morant’s parents cook for the players after pickup games.

Holloway was invited to play several times and had developed a friendly relationship with the Morants. Ja Morant testified that the teen behaved well and showed respect towards him and his family during his previous visits.

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