The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Former Hawkeye football player to see trial, three years later

More than three years after an alleged sexual assault in Hillcrest, the two former Hawkeye football players — Cedric Everson and Abe Satterfield — accused of the crime will meet again at the Johnson County Courthouse.

But this time, they won’t be on the same team.

Everson’s Jan. 10 trial — in which Satterfield is set to testify — comes after a former UI athlete accused the two of sexually assaulting her in a Hillcrest dorm room on Oct. 14, 2007. The trial has been delayed numerous times.

Two years is long enough for most University of Iowa students to have no recollection of the incident, and the only students who were on campus at the time of the incident are now seniors or graduate students.

Iowa criminal-defense attorney Adam Pollack, who would not comment on the Hillcrest incident specifically, said a case can be affected by a lapse between when charges are filed and someone goes to trial.

"The one thing time affects for most people is memory," he said. "Memory fades with time, but that’s not a given. So can [time] have an effect? Yes. But to what extent is debatable."

According to court documents, the alleged victim told police that Satterfield, another man, and she entered a Hillcrest dorm room. After the other man left, Satterfield allegedly forced the victim to have sexual intercourse with him even after the woman told him she did not want to. Court documents say Satterfield admitted to having sex with the woman.

Satterfield’s account of the incident said the alleged victim was asleep or "otherwise incapacitated" in the room at the time, and he permitted Everson to get in bed with the victim and perform a sex act on her as he stood by.

Everson was charged with second-degree sexual abuse, and Satterfield was charged with second and third-degree sexual abuse and assault with intent to inflict serious injury.

On April 9, Satterfield pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and agreed to testify against Everson. He is set to be sentenced Jan. 21, 2011.

Everson’s lawyer did not immediately return phone calls Thursday.

Satterfield’s lawyer — Alfredo Parrish — declined to comment on the trial.

Later, the alleged victim’s mother claimed the UI mishandled the case, and an external law firm was hired to investigate.

The firm, the Stolar Partnership, named former Vice President for Student Services Phillip Jones and former General Counsel Marcus Mills as responsible for the mishandling, and President Sally Mason terminated them in September 2008. Since their termination, both Mills and Jones have filed lawsuits for wrongful termination and defamation, naming the UI, among other parties.

The Daily Iowan will cover Everson’s trial online in January.

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