U.S. Women’s Soccer star Hope Solo will face trial for assault charges on November 4 — a date that will not interfere with the upcoming 2015 Women’s World Cup, Fox Sports is reporting .
An early November trial date means Hope won’t miss any games at her day job — goalkeeper for the Seattle Reign of the National Women’s Soccer League — or any of the qualifying matches for the upcoming 2015 Women’s World Cup, which will be held in Canada. All of Team USA’s CONCACAF qualifying matches will be played in October, meaning Hope won’t have her trial as a distraction during the qualifying stage of the tournament.
Solo appeared in court in Seattle Monday, accompanied by her husband, former Seattle Seahawks tight end Jerramy Stevens. Her lawyer had filed a motion to dismiss the case, alleging that Hope was the victim, and not the assailant, in the case. Hope has pleaded not guilty to two counts of fourth-degree domestic violence, according to the Christian Science Monitor .
In an email published in the Seattle Times , Hope’s lawyer, Todd Maybrown, said the move to have charges dismissed was procedural.
“As expected, and as is normal in misdemeanor cases, today’s hearing was about setting a trial date. We’re pleased that both sides, and the judge, agreed to a November date and we look forward to the opportunity for the truth about this incident to be disclosed which will clear Hope’s name.”
The charges stem from an incident that took place in June of this year (see this Inquisitr article). On June 21, a 911 call was placed by a male who reported that a woman would not stop “hitting people” or leave the house. What, exactly, happened is unclear as of this post, and will likely be revealed if and when the case goes to trial. What is known is that a woman, later revealed to be Hope’s sister, and a 17-year-old juvenile, Hope’s nephew, had visible injuries. Police determined that Solo, who appeared “intoxicated and upset,” was the primary aggressor. She was charged with domestic violence, and she later pleaded not guilty.
After the charges, Solo released a statement, quoted in the Washington Post :
“I would like to apologize to my fans, teammates, coaches, marketing partners and the entire US Soccer and Seattle Reign FC communities for my involvement in a highly unfortunate incident this past weekend. I understand that, as a public figure, I am held to a higher standard of conduct. I take seriously my responsibilities as a role model and sincerely apologize to everyone I have disappointed.”
Hope’s lawyer contends that she is the victim, and not the aggressor, in this situation.
Will Hope Solo get a fair trial? Does the fact that she’s a popular professional athlete mean that she’ll get away with her alleged crimes? Let us know what you think in the comments.
[Image courtesy of: KOMO ]
