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  • Suspended Oklahoma State University basketball player Darrell Williams makes his way into the courtroom Thursday for a felony trial. The trial will resume Monday. Chase Rheam

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July 13, 2012

Trial of Oklahoma State player to resume Monday

By Russell Hixson Stillwater NewsPress

STILLWATER, Okla. — The trial of suspended Oklahoma State basketball player Darrell Williams is set to continue at 9 a.m. Monday as District Judge Phillip Corley had other court duties on Friday.

The two victims who claim Williams sexually touched them at a house party in 2010 have yet to testify, but during three days of jury questioning,  Assistant District Attorney Jill Tontz indicated the two women would likely do so.

The defense has also strongly indicated that OSU head basketball coach Travis Ford would testify in the trial.

Williams, 22, is accused of sexually assaulting two women at a party in December 2010. Williams is on trial for four counts of rape by instrumentation and one count of sexual battery. The women allege Williams stuck his hands down their pants and touched them sexually. Williams has pleaded not guilty. Defense attorneys Willie Baker and Cheryl Ramsey said in court Williams could have been misidentified at the poorly lit party where witnesses say many men were dressed in OSU basketball warm-up suits. Tontz said the evidence will show Williams was a basketball star who wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Thursday the jury heard from two students and one former student who attended the party.

One woman testified Thursday that several men in warm-up suits held her down and sexually assaulted her in the basement of the house during the party. She said they would not stop despite her yelling and kicking. They found it amusing and laughed, she testified. She did not accuse Williams of any wrongdoing, but identified him in the courtroom as being at the party and in the basement.

Alyssa Casares, an OSU student who was at the party, testified men in OSU warm-up suits were telling everyone at the party they were basketball players. She said she recognized several of them, including Williams from pictures, posters and basketball games. Williams was acting intoxicated, Casares said, and the players were getting very close, flirting and making her feel uncomfortable. She did not accuse Williams of anything.

Stillwater police detective Jeff Watts testified one of the victims picked Williams out of an unlabeled photo of the OSU basketball team. He said she immediately pointed to him. During questioning by Ramsey, Watts said he did not have the victim view photos of the players’ faces out of uniform.

Daniel Dixon, an OSU student who attended the party, said it was crowded with as many as 50 or so people at one time. He said the upstairs was lit with a black light and the basement was lit by a lamp, light bulb and a TV. Dixon said he saw about 10 OSU basketball players at the party, including Williams, who he saw drinking alcohol-spiked punch. He said Williams was wearing the same OSU warm-up suits the other players were. Dixon testified he did not see Williams assault anyone or smoke marijuana, which he said was being used at the party.

Judge Corley said the trial would likely last all next week.

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