Kent SomersThe Arizona RepublicJun. 29, 2005 01:50 PMA jury acquitted Terrell Suggs and his younger brother Donald of assault charges Wednesday, prompting relief but not shock from the Baltimore Ravens linebacker.Terrell Suggs said he had no doubt he and his brother would be found not guilty.“All of y'all have watched me grow up here,” said Suggs, who played football at Chandler Hamilton High and Arizona State University. “I have never once been in trouble. I've never once shown the character they tried to portray me. I'm the biggest kid you guys know. I'm a fun-loving guy.”advertisement Suggs said he was simply trying to break up a fight that day, March29, 2003, near the basketball courts at a three-on-three tournament at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Prosecutors contended that Suggs and his brother attacked Jeryme Cook, Casey Cothern and Anthony Henrie after an argument.Attorneys for the Suggs brothers, however, said that Cook started the fight with Terrell Suggs. Donald Suggs, they said, became involved only when Terrell was hit on the back of the head with a steel rod.The Maricopa County Superior Court jury took the case Tuesday and reached a verdict at approximately noon Wednesday.Earlier, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Michael O. Wilkinson threw out one felony count against Terrell Suggs and dismissed charges against two other men. He let stand one felony count of aggravated assault and a misdemeanor charge against Suggs.Suggs, 22, is one of the NFL's elite pass rushers. The 10th overall pick in the 2003 draft, Suggs has 221/2 sacks in two NFL seasons.After appearing in the courtroom over the past three weeks, Suggs said he can't wait for the beginning of training camp Aug.1.“The threat of it (football) being taken away from you, you appreciate it even more,” he said. “I prefer two-a-days to any day out here (in court). You can give me six-a-days over prison.”
