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Wednesday, January 28, 2015

2 former Vanderbilt players are convicted of rape - The Seattle Times

College football



2 former Vanderbilt players are convicted of rape in jury trial



A jury convicted two former Vanderbilt players on Tuesday of raping an ex-student, rejecting claims they were too drunk to know what they were doing and that a college culture of binge drinking and promiscuous sex should be blamed for the attack.



The jury deliberated for three hours before announcing Tuesday that Brandon Vandenburg and Cory Batey, both 21, were guilty of aggravated rape and aggravated sexual battery.



The victim, a 21-year-old neuroscience and economics major at the time of the June 2013 attack, cried as each guilty verdict was announced in Nashville, Tenn. The men face decades in prison when they are sentenced March 6.



The jury heard two weeks of testimony from a parade of witnesses, including police, former and current Vanderbilt students and the woman, who said she didn’t remember what happened that night, only that she woke up in a strange dormitory room. They also saw cellphone images from the night of the attack Vandenburg sent to friends as it was happening.



Despite the photos and video, and witnesses seeing the woman unconscious and at least partially naked in a dorm hallway, no one reported it.



Jaborian “Tip” McKenzie, who is also charged in the case, testified he did not touch the woman himself but also took pictures. No trial date has been set for McKenzie and Brandon Banks, the fourth former player accused in the assault.



NFL



Ex-players intend to appeal



Lawyers representing 1,300 former NFL players filed notice they plan to appeal a federal judge’s dismissal of a lawsuit alleging teams damaged the players’ health by routinely — and often illegally — dispensing painkillers.



The notice was filed with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. The original lawsuit was dismissed in December by Judge William Alsup of the U.S. Northern District in California. He ruled the collective-bargaining agreement between the league and the NFL Players Association was the appropriate forum to resolve those claims — and not the court.



The appeal would be heard by a three-judge panel, which ordered supporting briefs in the case by May 7.



Colts promote Chudzinski



Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano has promoted Rob Chudzinski to associate head coach. Chudzinski, 46, was hired last year as a special assistant to Pagano after one season as Cleveland’s coach.



Auto racing



Driver Patrick faces uncertainty



Danica Patrick begins her third full season at NASCAR’s top level facing an uncertain future.



The driver’s contract with Stewart-Haas Racing is in its final year, as is the contract between primary sponsor GoDaddy and the race team.



Patrick, 32 and still adapting to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing after seven seasons in IndyCar, has no intention of leaving her current team.



“Well, I ain’t getting any younger and I don’t know how many times I can change my career,” she said.



Team co-owner Gene Haas said he has been pleased with Patrick’s progress and there have been talks already on a contract extension.



Vickers is eager to race again



Brian Vickers is eager to get back on the racetrack and prove to everyone he still has what it takes to win Sprint Cup races. He had emergency open heart surgery last month.



“Reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated,” Vickers, 31, said. “I am still kicking.”



Vickers will miss the first two Cup races as part of his recovery process, but has been given a clean bill of health to begin racing March 8 in Las Vegas. He is to drive the No. 55 Aaron’s Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing.



Vickers was 22nd in the standings last year.



Baseball



Rangers, Red Sox trade pitchers



The Texas Rangers acquired right-hander Anthony Ranaudo from the Boston Red Sox for left-hander Robbie Ross.



The 6-foot-7 Ranaudo, 25, was 4-3 with a 4.81 earned-run average for Boston last year. He also was 14-4 at Class AAA Pawtucket, where he was chosen the International League’s most valuable pitcher.



Ross, 25, was 13-8 with a 3.98 ERA in 150 games the past three years with the Rangers.



ELSEWHERE



Branislav Ivanovic scored on a header from Willian’s free kick in the fourth minute of overtime, and Chelsea beat Liverpool 1-0 to reach England’s League Cup final on 2-1 aggregate.



Tottenham leads Sheffield United 1-0 going into their second leg Wednesday in Sheffield.



The final is March 1 at Wembley in London.



• IBF champion middleweight boxer Jermain Taylor, who is facing charges in two gun-related incidents, must undergo a mental evaluation, an Arkansas judge said.



Pulaski County Circuit Judge Leon Johnson granted a request from Taylor’s attorneys that Taylor be moved to a state hospital for a full evaluation.



“Everybody is saying this isn’t the Jermain Taylor they know,” said Taylor attorney Hubert Alexander. “We’re trying to figure out who in the heck it is.”



Taylor, 36, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree battery and first-degree terroristic threatening charges stemming from an August shooting of his cousin at his home in Maumelle.



And Taylor last week was charged with aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a minor after police said he opened fire and threatened to shoot a family during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in Little Rock.



Seattle Times news services





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