At a brief court hearing on Tuesday, November 4, it was decided that soccer star Hope Solo’s trial for domestic abuse will be moved to January 6. The trial, which was supposed to begin on November 17, was postponed after Judge Michael Lambo granted a motion for depositions of the two alleged victims: Solo’s sister and 17-year-old nephew. According to Solo’s attorney Todd Maybrown, the two refused to be interviewed with a stenographer present.
Solo appeared in court with her husband, Seahawks tight end Jerramy Stevens. She was charged back in June with two counts of fourth-degree domestic violence and assault, after allegedly attacking the victims. However, according to Solo’s lawyer, she acted on self-defense on the night of the incident.
American keeper Hope Solo appears in court after allegedly fighting her nephew http://t.co/u4OjKDM65R pic.twitter.com/htuIFTiC9e
— MailOnline Sport (@MailSport) November 5, 2014
According to police reports, Solo was at a gathering at her sister’s Kirkland home on the night of June 20. The report also says that Solo had been drinking and was in a bad mood after her husband refused to take her to the airport to catch a flight. She then allegedly began verbally abusing her teenage nephew, saying he was “too fat and overweight and crazy to ever be an athlete.”
After the verbal altercation, the nephew went to another part of the house where Solo followed him and allegedly attacked him. Solo’s sister tried to stop the fight, but Solo reportedly attacked her as well. According to the report, the teen grabbed a hold of “an old gun that did not work” and pointed it at Solo to make her back off. The weapon turned out to be a broken BB gun.
Solo pleaded not guilty and was released from custody on her own recognizance.
Solo continued to play soccer right after her arrest, and even led the U.S. national team in a championship during a World Cup qualifying tournament. The decision by the league to allow her to play has drawn criticism especially right after Ray Rice was suspended from the NFL after similar charges were filed against him.