Judge rules Ja Morant can argue self-defense in lawsuit where he punched teen at pick-up game
A Tennessee judge ruled in favor of Ja Morant Monday, saying the Grizzlies star guard can argue self-defense under the state's "stand your ground" law in a civil trial over a punch Morant threw at a teenager during a pick-up game.
This is a major win for Morant and his legal team because it shifts the burden of proof from Morant to Joshua Holloway — who filed the lawsuit — and his legal team, they have to prove Morant didn't act in self-defense. That's a much higher legal bar to clear.
The incident occurred in July 2022, when some Memphis-area players were playing a pick-up game on the outdoor court at Morant's parents' house. Joshua Holloway, who was 17 at the time, was allegedly frustrated and during a check-ball situation threw a hard one-handed pass that hit Morant in the face. In his testimony at the hearing, Morant said Holloway then bumped him in the chest, balled his fists, and appeared ready to start a fight. Morant then punched the teen first, something he admitted doing but said was in self-defense. Morant's close friend Davonte Pack then jumped in and also hit Holloway, and Pack was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor, a charge that was later dropped.
Holloway filed a civil suit against Morant and Pack alleging assault, reckless endangerment, and infliction of emotional distress. Morant's lawyers argued the Grizzlies star was not guilty under the state's "stand your ground" laws.
On Monday, Shelby County Circuit Judge Carol Chumney ruled in favor of Morant, agreeing with his lawyers that the punch can qualify as self-defense, something first reported by Baxter Holmes of ESPN. The entire case is scheduled for trial in April, but that likely will be pushed back now as Holloway's camp has to regroup and decide whether to move forward.
This case was one of several issues that hung over Morant and the Grizzlies this season. The NBA suspended him for the first 25 games of the season for waving a gun during an Instagram live incident, the second time he had been suspended for the same thing. Morant returned and played just nine games before suffering a shoulder injury that required surgery and ended his season. He is expected to be healthy and return to the Grizzlies next season.
