This part of the court proceedings is a bit of a formality, but the felony battery charges against former NBA No. 1 pick Greg Oden became official before a judge Wednesday morning in Indianapolis.
A not guilty plea was entered (standard at this point in any criminal case, it can be changed later after plea bargain negotiations) and a trial date of Oct. 22 was set, according to the Associated Press.
Oden has been charged with one count of battery resulting in serious bodily injury — a felony that can come with one to six years in jail — as well charges of domestic battery and battery resulting in bodily injury, both misdemeanors.
Oden admitted to the arresting officers that he did this, according to the original police report.The officer noticed “blood, swelling to the nose, lacerations to the forehead and nose area” of the victim’s face. Police also saw blood on the sofa and floor. A flower pot was also knocked over during the disturbance. ...
“Things got out of control and I started to go after the victim,” police quoted Oden in the report…. “I was wrong and I know what has to happen,” Oden told officers. He said he and the woman had dated for approximately two years and broke up about two months ago.It’s a minor point in comparison, but Oden is a free agent right now and it’s hard to see a team taking the PR hit and bringing him for training camp in at this point. Oden played last season with the Heat but by the time the games really mattered he had fallen far out of the rotation. On a team that could have used some size.
