NBA players Marcus and Markieff Morris acquitted of assault

PHOENIX — A Phoenix jury acquitted NBA players Marcus and Markieff Morris in their aggravated assault trial Tuesday.

The twin brothers were accused of helping three other people beat 36-year-old Erik Hood in January 2015 outside a high school basketball game in Phoenix.

At that time, the 28-year-old brothers played for the Phoenix Suns. Marcus now plays for the Boston Celtics and Markieff is with the Washington Wizards.

After the verdict was read in Maricopa County Superior Court, the Morris brothers said they were relieved and ready to get back to their teams. They have missed the start of the NBA preseason because of the trial.

Another defendant, Gerald Bowman, also was found not guilty on two counts of aggravated assault. Two other co-defendants pleaded guilty to the charges on Sept. 13.

Jurors got the case Monday afternoon. They began hearing testimony Sept. 18.

Defence attorney James Belanger said in closing arguments that the case was inexcusably tainted by Hood's mentor trying to solicit two witnesses to implicate the Morris brothers for a cash payment in return.

Two witnesses testified about the mentor's attempt and their refusal to lie. They both went to break up the fight and placed the Morris twins near the site but not as part of the altercation.

Prosecutor Daniel Fisher had urged jurors to convict the brothers, saying Marcus Morris kicked Hood in the head and Markieff Morris acted as an accomplice because "they had an axe to grind" with him.

Defence attorneys pressed Hood during his testimony about his financial motives in the case and his knowledge of the NBA players' substantial financial assets.

They also repeatedly said Hood lied to police nine times when he said both twins were involved in the assault. Hood later changed his statement to say Markieff did not beat him but had been in the vicinity.

Timothy Eckstein, a lawyer for Marcus Morris, said Hood knew he had to "double down on Marcus" beating him because the case wouldn't be worth anything without one of the brothers involved.

Hood testified he wanted justice for the incident that left him with a broken nose and other injuries.

He said he has known the Morris brothers since their youth basketball days, but they had a falling out in 2011.

Hood testified that his relationship with the twins became strained because of a misinterpreted text message he sent their mother. But he said there was nothing "improper" happening with him and their mother.

Clarice Silber, The Associated Press