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Friday, May 2, 1997

Police: Irvin, Williams uncooperative in prosecution of accuser

DALLAS (AP) - Dallas Cowboys Michael Irvin and Erik Williams have not cooperated with investigators and prosecutors in the case against the woman accused of falsely accusing them of sexual assault, officials testified Thursday.

Police Detective Ross Salverino said he has tried repeatedly through attorneys to schedule interviews with the two Dallas Cowboys stars, receiver Irvin and offensive lineman Williams, but in vain.

Officials said their efforts to serve the players with subpoenas also have failed.

"Michael Irvin and Erik Williams won't talk to us, but they have spoken on camera," Clark Birdsall, a Dallas County prosecutor, said during a court hearing Thursday.

Nina Shahravan, 23, a former topless dancer, is charged with perjury for signing a police affidavit that she later recanted.

The testimony came during a hearing in which attorneys for Dallas-Fort Worth television station asked a judge to throw out a subpoena for one of its reporters.

Birdsall said the reporter has video and audio recordings that could be crucial to their case against Shahravan, especially in light of the player's non-cooperation.

Ms. Shahravan alleged initially that Williams and an unidentified man raped her at Williams' house the night of Dec. 29 while Irvin held her at gunpoint and videotaped the assaults.

Irvin, Williams and their lawyers have denied that the football stars were involved in any crime. Police have cleared the players.

Ms. Shahravan's statement recanting her allegations has not been made public. Her attorney has challenged it, saying she was not given the opportunity to consult with counsel before signing it. Shahravan is standing by her contention that she was raped.

Irvin's attorney, state Sen. Royce West of Dallas, did not return telephone calls to his home Thursday night. However, Williams' attorney, Peter Ginsberg of Washington, D.C., denied the assertions by Salverino and Birdsall.

He said he has tried 12 times to arrange a meeting between his client and investigators.

"Mr. Williams is ready to cooperate and has always been willing to cooperate," Ginsberg said.

But Birdsall was unmoved.

"What I meant in court is that although there have been offers to make Mr. Williams available, he has never in fact actually been made available," he said.

As for the subpoenas against the television station, attorneys for the station called them a "fishing expedition" and that the tapes weren't relevant to the perjury allegations against Ms. Shahravan.

Visiting County Criminal Court Judge Ben Ellis said he will rule on the subpoena next week.