'One down, two to go' in 2011 court appearances for WBC welterweight champ Mayweather
Current WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr will make more appearances in court than the ring in 2011. He walked free from court on Wednesday after being acquitted of misdemeanor harassment charges alleging that he had threatened the lives of two security guards during an argument relating to parking tickets outside of his Las Vegas mansion.
Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Diana Sullivan said she was not convinced that the security guards genuinely feared that any threats made by Mayweather would be carried out. The gaurds themselves had admitted under questioning by Mayweather's defense attorney Richard Wright that they would have preferred that the case had not gone to trial.
"If this wasn't Floyd Mayweather, we wouldn't have been in court. Any other case would have resolved with an offer of an apology and a handshake." Wright said outside the downtown Clark County Regional Justice Center.
Wednesday's case related to an October 4, 2010 encounter between Mayweather and two security guards - 23-year-old Miguel Burgos and 24-year-old Aaron Ryan - employed at the Southern Highlands community where he owns a home. Parking for Mayweather's fleet of 29 cars has apparently been a frequent source of friction within the gated and security patrolled community.
Mayweather discovered that the guards had ticketed some of his vehicles, and subsequently berated them for touching his cars. Grabbing some of the tickets and sticking them on the windshield of Burgos and Ryan's security vehicle, Mayweather told the guards ''My homies have guns. If you want me to call them, they'd come over here and take care of you.''
Although state prosecutor Lisa Luzaich claimed that the two guards feared for their safety, Mayweather's attorney Wright countered that both men were armed with handguns, never left their vehicle, and therefore could have easily driven away at any moment if they had genuinely feared for their safety.
Judge Sullivan agreed: ''I do not see evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that they were in fear for their safety.'' she said.
If found guilty, Mayweather faced up to six months in jail and $2000 in fines.
It was a case of 'one down, two to go' for 34 year old Mayweather in scheduled court appearances this year. He is due to stand trial on November 4 regarding an unrelated misdemeanor battery allegation which claims he poked another security guard in the face during a separate argument over parking tickets. Mayweather has also pleaded not guilty to that charge.
On December 21 Mayweather is scheduled to appear in court relating to felony charges alleged by his ex-girlfriend. This will be by far the most serious of Mayweather's legal issues, relating as it does to a 2010 domestic dispute between Mayweather, his ex-girlfriend and two of their children, and could put him behind bars for 34 years if he is convicted.
Dan Hunter is a lifelong boxing aficionado and our Boxing Editor.