Times wires
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The judge hearing the players' request to lift the lockout said it will take "a couple of weeks" to rule.
U.S. District Court Judge Susan Richard Nelson, who also urged both sides to get back to the bargaining table, heard arguments Wednesday.
"It seems to me both sides are at risk and this is a very good time for you to come back to the table," Nelson said.
The players say their careers are being irreparably harmed by the lockout. The owners say Nelson doesn't have the jurisdiction while their complaint is before the National Labor Relations Board.
The lockout was imposed by the owners after negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement broke off March 11.
When Nelson rules, she could side with the players, putting the NFL back in business. Or she could side with the owners and either deny the request or wait to decide until the NLRB rules on the league's contention that decertification of the union was an improper bargaining ploy.
Sears case: Former Bucs guard Arron Sears, jailed since Feb. 2 on a charge of battery on a law enforcement officer, was released and his case closed after he entered a mental health diversion program. If he completes the 18-month program, the charge will be dropped. Sears, 26, has been hospitalized on multiple occasions over the past year under the Baker Act, which permits police to take persons into custody who are believed to be mentally unstable or a danger to themselves. The alleged battery happened in June at Tampa General Hospital on one occasion.
Taylor case: Reporters and cameras will be barred from an evidence hearing in the case against four men accused of killing former Redskins safety Sean Taylor in 2007, a judge ruled. Defense attorneys argued the hearing, on alleging confessions and incriminating statements, should be closed so prospective jurors weren't exposed.
Titans: A lawsuit against the University of Southern California was settled. Terms weren't disclosed. The team sued after USC hired running backs coach Kennedy Pola off the Titans staff a week before 2010 training camp.
Times staff writer Stephen F. Holder contributed to this report.
