No Charges Filed
No criminal charges will be filed against Kansas guard Sherron Collins in the case of a woman who claimed he assaulted her on an elevator on the campus.
Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson said Friday there was insufficient evidence to prove that Collins had done anything wrong.
“This information comes as no surprise to me,” Kansas coach Bill Self said in a statement. “Sherron has maintained his innocence since the day these allegations were made over a year ago. I have supported Sherron since these claims were made and will continue to do so.”
Jessica J. Brown accused Collins of exposing himself and rubbing against her in an elevator at a university apartment complex on May 18, 2007. She filed a civil lawsuit against him and was awarded damages in excess of $75,000 in June because Collins failed to file a legal response to the suit within 20 days of its filing.
Last month, Collins’ lawyer filed a motion to set aside the judge’s ruling, arguing that Collins did not intentionally ignore notices of the lawsuit when it was filed May 14.
The motion stated that Collins was not aware a previous attorney who had been hired to handle the case for him had ended their attorney-client relationship.
A judge is scheduled to hear arguments on that motion Aug. 1.
“Although these claims have been very hurtful to me personally and damaged my reputation, I have always been confident that there is no evidence that could implicate me in any way, shape or form,” Collins said in a statement. “I am innocent of any inappropriate behavior and hopefully this news today will help return my good name.”
Branson said two tests conducted by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation provided no additional evidence in the case.
“The victim was very disappointed that the testing did not provide the corroborating evidence that would support a criminal charge and she understands the difficulty of pursuing a criminal case under these circumstances,” Branson said.
Collins is the top returning player for the national champion Jayhawks, who lost underclassmen Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur to the NBA draft.
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