Former miami dolphin lawrence phillips convicted in domestic violence case

August 12, 2009

In San Diego, California, former Miami Dolphin Lawrence Phillips was convicted of choking his girlfriend into a state of unconsciousness back in 2005. Phillips will be sentenced on September 8, 2009 by Judge Kerry Wells. Phillips can be sentenced up to 25 years in state prison. This domestic violence case demonstrates the need to hire a qualified Miami criminal defense attorney for representation in domestic violence matters.

A jury deliberated for several hours before returning the guilty verdict. The former NFL player was convicted of two counts of assault by force likely to cause serious bodily injury and for causing injury to a co-habitant or spouse. Other counts for which Phillips was convicted include false imprisonment, making a threat and grand theft of a motor vehicle. The counts stemmed from two separate domestic violence incidents.

The victim, Amaliya Weisler, testified that she was introduced to Phillips through a friend back in 2005. They began a relationship immediately afterward, and are in fact, still dating. On August 2, 2005, Phillips and Weisler became engaged in a verbal dispute regarding their sex life. Weisler put his clothes in a pile and requested that he leave the apartment. Phillips became enraged, slapped her across the face and put his hands around neck and choked her.

Two weeks later, on August 13, 2005, Weisler claimed that Phillips locked her in a bathroom and proceed to slap and choke her after he accused her of having sex with one of his friends. Weisler and Phillips then traveled to the friend's house. Once at the residence, Phillips kicked in his friend's front door. The residents of the home called the police. Phillips fled in Weisler's car. After the charges were filed, Phillips fled the jurisdiction and resided in Los Angeles, California.

While in Los Angeles, Phillips was convicted by a jury for attempting to drive his car into three juveniles. In 2006, Phillips was sentenced to 10 years in prison for that aggravated assault charge. Phillips has a long history of domestic violence, stemming back to his days at the University of Nebraska where he assaulted his college girlfriend and was suspended from the team. He pled no contest in that case and was placed on one year of reporting probation. Phillips refused to attend his latest trial and was convicted in absentia.

Former NFL RB Lawrence Phillips Convicted of Choking Girlfriend, SDNN.com, August 11, 2009.