[Pierre] Pierce avoids trial with guilty plea [former Iowa Hawkeye, basketball star]

ADEL, Iowa (AP) --- Former University of Iowa basketball player Pierre Pierce has avoided trial by pleading guilty to four criminal charges stemming from an assault at the West Des Moines home of a former girlfriend last winter.

Under a deal reached with prosecutors Monday, Pierce, 22, pleaded guilty to third-degree burglary, assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, false imprisonment and fourth-degree criminal mischief.

The deal, reached hours after attorneys had resumed jury selection, brings an end to Pierce's latest off-court legal saga and speculation about a case that has dominated Iowa headlines for months.

Under questioning by Dallas County District Judge Gregory Hulse, Pierce acknowledged the extent of his role in the Jan. 27 incident.

Standing before the judge, Pierce, clad in a bright yellow shirt, tie and tan pants, said he entered the woman's apartment without permission, held her against her will and destroyed some of her property.

When asked about the sexual assault charge, Pierce stated: "While I was at (the woman's) residence, I did assault her with intent to commit sexual abuse, against her will."

As part of the deal, prosecutors recommended that Pierce receive a five-year suspended sentence for the burglary conviction.

But Patricia Houlihan, assistant attorney general, said punishment on the other three charges would be addressed during the sentencing hearing. Houlihan said she would argue that the judge order Pierce to serve time in prison. Pierce faces a maximum of four years on the three unresolved crimes, according to the judge.

The sexual assault crime may require Pierce to register on Iowa's sexual offender registry for 10 years.

"You should be aware that that certainly is an option that the sentence of the court might require," said Hulse.

In return, prosecutors agreed to dismiss two counts of first-degree burglary, charges which would have carried a 25-year sentence. If convicted on each of the four original charges, Pierce would have faced up to 56 years in prison.

With no opposition from prosecutors, the judge agreed to let Pierce to move back home to live with his parents in Westmont, Ill., a suburb of Chicago.

Defense attorney Alfredo Parrish declined to comment after the hearing, citing a gag order imposed last week by the judge.

But during the hearing, he told the judge Pierce understood the deal and was satisfied.

Houlihan, the lead prosecutor, and assistant attorney general Scott Brown also declined to comment.

In court documents, West Des Moines police said Pierce verbally threatened the woman, had a knife and stripped her of clothing. He is accused of stealing or damaging personal items from her apartment and reaching inside her sport utility vehicle to detain her.

Parrish consistently described the incident as a misunderstanding between two people who had a relationship for 2.5 years.

Days after police identified Pierce as the focus of their investigation, Iowa coach Steve Alford dismissed the junior guard from the team. At the time, Pierce was the Hawkeyes' leading scorer and best defender.

In 2002, Pierce was charged with sexually assaulting a woman after a party at his off-campus apartment. He pleaded guilty to a lesser crime, assault causing injury, and had the charged expunged from his record after completing probation.

Earlier story:

Judge denies Pierce motion to dismiss charges and delay trial
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) --- A judge denied a motion by Pierre Pierce to dismiss his criminal case or delay his trial, clearing the way for jury selection on Monday, according to the Iowa attorney general's office.
...
He faces up to 56 years in prison if convicted.
In a motion filed Thursday, Pierce asked Dallas County District Judge Gregory Hulse to either drop the charges or postpone the trial, saying new evidence had come to light.
Papers turned over to Pierce's attorney this week included a report prepared by Police Officer Brent Kock, who was called to the West Des Moines home and spoke to the woman.
In his report, Kock described the woman as calm and said she denied any physical contact. He said she appeared more embarrassed about police having been called to her home than about the altercation.
Kock, who is not listed as a trial witness and has not been deposed by attorneys, also reported that the woman told him Pierce could "stay here tonight."
"Officer Kock's statements directly contradict the testimony provided by the victim," wrote Pierce's attorney, Alfredo Parrish. "The state's late disclosures impinge defendant's due process rights to receive a fair trial."

The state was ordered to pay some of his attorney's fees. But, it looks like even the prosecution's incompetence wasn't enough to get him off scott free.

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