Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips faced a fairly significant distraction from football practice and game preparation next week. He was scheduled to be in court.
Specifically, Phillips faced a trial on civil assault charges. The case arose from allegations that Phillips punched a security guard in April 2009. According to Brent Schrotenboer of the San Diego Union-Tribune, a “conditional settlement” has been reached.
Though the authorities opted not to pursue the case as a criminal matter, the alleged victim filed a lawsuit. Since civil suits rely on a much lower standard of proof than criminal charges, Phillips could have been found liable even without a prosecution.
Terms of the settlement weren’t disclosed.
The development cuts Phillips’ pending legal entanglements in half. He still faces a civil lawsuit in Las Vegas arising from allegations that he struck and injured a 54-year-old woman at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. Phillips was not arrested or charged in the February 2008 incident.