Tuesday was a bizarre day for Jets receiver Brandon Marshall.
It ended with Marshall receiving the Ernie Accorsi Humanitarian Award from the New York Athletic Club. It began with a trial in a civil claim brought by a woman he allegedly punched in the face four years ago.
Via the Associated Press, a “sobbing” Christin Myles said that the blow has resulted in lingering eye, neck, and back injuries.
Marshall was present for opening statements and the testimony from Myles. The presentation included surveillance video of an incident that happened inside the Marquee nightclub on March 11, 2012, with a pair champagne bottles and ice buckets tossed toward a group that included Marshall, his wife, and former NFL receiver Mike Sims-Walker. A bottle cut Marshall’s wife on the lip, and they left the club to wait for an ambulance.
Myles, who testified that she had gone to the restroom when the altercation occurred, became angry when she realized that what had been her 24th birthday celebration had ended prematurely due to the incident. She said she took a swing at Sims-Walker, and that she then was struck by Marshall.
“The next moment, I remember I just saw an arm with tattoos and a blue sleeve rolled up,” Myles said. “I remember falling to the floor.”
According to the report from the Associated Press, Myles at that point began crying so hard that the presiding judge called for a break.
Lawyer Harvey Steinberg, who has become the attorney of choice for basically every current or former Broncos player or coach, is representing Marshall in the trial. Steinberg suggested that the lawsuit traces directly to Marshall’s fame and wealth.
“I have a feeling if he wasn’t a professional athlete we wouldn’t be in this courtroom,” Steinberg said.
That’s a risky move. If the jurors believe that Marshall punched Myles and if they believe that her injuries are what she claims they are, the strategy of suggesting that she’s simply chasing a payday could backfire.
Marshall, who wasn’t charged as a result of the incident, is expected to testify during the trial.