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Cowboys' accuser pleads guilty to misdemeanor perjury

By STEFANI G. KOPENEC Associated Press Writer

DALLAS (AP) - A former topless dancer pleaded guilty Monday to a perjury charge, saying she and she alone came up with the idea of falsely accusing two Dallas Cowboys players of sexual assault.

Nina Shahravan, who began the day pleading innocent, changed her mind during jury selection and by afternoon admitted to lying to police. She also changed course regarding who would decide her punishment, a jury of her peers or the judge. She settled on County Criminal Court Judge Dan L. Wyde.

The penalty phase of the trial begins Tuesday morning, and the state plans to call Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin and offensive tackle Erik Williams, who were the subject of the 24-year-old Mesquite woman's allegations.

Ms. Shahravan told police Dec. 30 that she had been raped by Williams and an unidentified man at Williams' home while Irvin held her at gunpoint and videotaped the attack.

A day later, police held a news conference after a Dallas-Fort Worth television station first reported the allegations. Ms. Shahravan conceded on Jan. 10 that Irvin was not present and that she willingly had sex with Williams and another man, according to a police affidavit. Police cleared the players later that day.

Because Ms. Shahravan pleaded guilty before the court, the judge is now allowed to consider a wider range of punishment that includes jail time or probation. Among his choices is a form of probation known as deferred adjudiction in which Ms. Shahravan legally would not be convicted of any crime if she successfully completes the terms of her probation, an official said.

She faces up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine for the Class A misdemeanor. Prosecutors have said they seek the maximum penalty.

Neither Ms. Shahravan nor her defense attorney, G. David Smith, would comment on the day's events, citing a gag order.

In July, defense attorneys unsuccessfully argued to have Wyde removed from the case for allegedly saying that he'd have to consider how Ms. Shahravan "inconvenienced influential people in Dallas" if she were found guilty. Wyde has denied making the remark.

During Monday's proceedings, Ms. Shahravan stood behind the defense table in a double-breasted, black pinstripe dress, waived her right to a jury trial and pleaded guilty.

She also signed a court document acknowledging that she'd given police false statements regarding Irvin "when in truth and in fact Michael Irvin was not present at the location."

The statement says she wrongly said Irvin put a gun to her head, threatened her by saying "if you don't want to end up missing, do what I say or your picture will be on milk cartons," and told her to perform oral sex on another man.

Asked by prosecutor Clark Birdsall "Whose idea was it to come up with this rape allegation against Erik Williams and Michael Irvin?" Ms. Shahravan responded: "Mine."

"Yours and yours alone," Birdsall asked.

"Yes," she said.

The allegations have spawned two lawsuits and a change in Dallas police policy regarding naming suspects.

Williams and Irvin sued KXAS, the station that first reported the story, for defamation. In July, the players settled the lawsuit in a deal reportedly worth at least $2 million.

A federal lawsuit brought by the players accusing the Dallas Police Department of civil rights violations is pending. In the wake of the perjury case, police have adopted stricter rules about identifying suspects. The policy calls for police officials to wait for a charge or arrest before releasing names.