Markieff and Marcus Morris found not guilty in aggravated assault trial
Morris twins Markieff and Marcus were both acquitted of an aggravated assault charge stemming from a 2015 incident involving their former mentor from Philadelphia, according to multiple reports.
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Erik Hood accused the twins of coordinating and participating in his assault outside a basketball tournament in Phoenix, where the Morrises were then playing for the Suns. Both have since been traded — Markieff to the Washington Wizards and Marcus to the Boston Celtics via the Detroit Pistons.
Hood testified that the beating, which resulted in a broken nose, came after a text he sent to the twins’ mother, telling her he’d always be there for her, which the Morrises allegedly misinterpreted.
Meanwhile, the twins’ lawyers argued that Hood was financially motivated, citing a pending lawsuit against the Morrises. The defense also stressed the changes to Hood’s account of the alleged assault, which originally named both twins in the beating and later suggested only Markieff took part.
The twins’ friend Gerald Bowman was also acquitted. Two other friends had previously pled guilty.
The Morrises each faced an automatic 10-game suspension if they were found guilty in the trial.
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Ben Rohrbach is a contributor for Ball Don’t Lie and Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach
