BabyGirl
03-25-2005, 12:00 AM
Levert Pleads Innocent
Gerald Levert scored a Top 10 R&B smash in 1988 with "Pull Over." Now he's looking to avoid scoring jail time in the wake of a police pull over gone awry.
The R&B singer was in an Ohio courtroom Tuesday, where he pleaded not guilty to felony charges of assaulting a Cleveland police officer and obstructing police business.
The charges stem from a Feb. 25 incident in which Levert is alleged to have pushed and swore at two cops after they stopped one of the singer's friends for speeding. Levert, who was tailing his buddy, was unhappy with the delay, prompting his altercation with police, according to an incident report. He allegedly got so out of control that officers had to subdue him with pepper spray.
The 38-year-old entertainer was indicted by a grand jury earlier this month on multiple counts, including: drunken driving, impeding traffic, obstructing police business, resisting arrest, felonious assault and a charge of obstructing official police business.
Levert did catch one break--prosecutor Anthony Jordan said injuries to the two officers, Ronald W. Ross and Daniel Lentz, were not serious enough to warrant felony assault charges, even though the two cops reportedly weren't well enough to go to work the following day.
At Levert's arraignment Tuesday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, his lawyer, Ed Wade, insisted Levert was "not guilty of these charges."
In a twist Wednesday, city officials released documents pointing to possible police violations regarding Levert's arrest, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
City prosecutor Jordan claims the cops, in a hurry to push felony charges against the singer, failed to follow routine department guidelines by seeking a grand jury indictment without first consulting with prosecutors.
Regardless, Levert is "looking forward to his day in court, so he can be vindicated and clear his good name," Wade told the Dealer Wednesday.
Levert, son of O'Jays singer Eddie Levert, has been recording since the 1980s, first as the lead singer of the trio Levert and then as a solo artist beginning in 1991. He has released eight albums and scored with songs like "I Swear," "Casanova" and "I'd Give Anything." His latest album, Do I Speak for the World?, was released in November and debuted at number 29 on the Billboard 200.
Gerald Levert scored a Top 10 R&B smash in 1988 with "Pull Over." Now he's looking to avoid scoring jail time in the wake of a police pull over gone awry.
The R&B singer was in an Ohio courtroom Tuesday, where he pleaded not guilty to felony charges of assaulting a Cleveland police officer and obstructing police business.
The charges stem from a Feb. 25 incident in which Levert is alleged to have pushed and swore at two cops after they stopped one of the singer's friends for speeding. Levert, who was tailing his buddy, was unhappy with the delay, prompting his altercation with police, according to an incident report. He allegedly got so out of control that officers had to subdue him with pepper spray.
The 38-year-old entertainer was indicted by a grand jury earlier this month on multiple counts, including: drunken driving, impeding traffic, obstructing police business, resisting arrest, felonious assault and a charge of obstructing official police business.
Levert did catch one break--prosecutor Anthony Jordan said injuries to the two officers, Ronald W. Ross and Daniel Lentz, were not serious enough to warrant felony assault charges, even though the two cops reportedly weren't well enough to go to work the following day.
At Levert's arraignment Tuesday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, his lawyer, Ed Wade, insisted Levert was "not guilty of these charges."
In a twist Wednesday, city officials released documents pointing to possible police violations regarding Levert's arrest, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
City prosecutor Jordan claims the cops, in a hurry to push felony charges against the singer, failed to follow routine department guidelines by seeking a grand jury indictment without first consulting with prosecutors.
Regardless, Levert is "looking forward to his day in court, so he can be vindicated and clear his good name," Wade told the Dealer Wednesday.
Levert, son of O'Jays singer Eddie Levert, has been recording since the 1980s, first as the lead singer of the trio Levert and then as a solo artist beginning in 1991. He has released eight albums and scored with songs like "I Swear," "Casanova" and "I'd Give Anything." His latest album, Do I Speak for the World?, was released in November and debuted at number 29 on the Billboard 200.