The bankruptcy trial for Shilo Sanders, the former Colorado safety, is not going according to plan. Sanders is seeking to discharge an $11.89 million civil judgment stemming from a 2015 altercation with a school security guard, but the opening statements on Monday suggested the court may not be sympathetic to his case.
According to USA TODAY's Brent Schrotenboer, the plaintiff's attorney, Ori Raphael, used his opening statement to highlight inconsistencies in Sanders' story over the years. Raphael argued that Sanders' shifting narrative undermines any claim of self-defense, a key part of the defense's strategy.
“For 10 years the defense (claimed) he never touched a man, a blow he swears he never struck,” Raphael told the judge. “If that’s the case, it cannot be self-defense. No one accidentally acts in self-defense… And if today he changes his tune, his credibility, which is also on trial, is shattered.”
Sanders' attorney, Victor Vital, countered that his client, who was 15 at the time, was subjected to “disproportionate physical force” by John Darjean, the security guard. “The plaintiff escalated the encounter using disproportionate physical force against a 15-year-old boy,” Vital said. “The evidence is going to show he manhandled my client.”
The trial, which began on Monday, did not feature live testimony but instead played video depositions from prior lawsuits in 2017 and 2018. In one video, Darjean became emotional as Leroy McClure, the school's founder, testified that an internal investigation cleared Darjean of any wrongdoing. “I found him to do nothing wrong,” McClure said.
McClure also described a tense confrontation with Sanders after the incident, where he feared for his own safety. “He was very adamant about not giving up that phone,” McClure testified. “In fact, he still had the phone in his hand. The way he was carrying himself, I thought there would be another confrontation that would have been between Shilo Sanders and myself.”
The trial is set to continue on Tuesday with live witnesses expected to take the stand. Notably, Shilo's father, Deion Sanders, is not currently expected to testify. The outcome of this trial could have significant implications for Shilo's financial future, especially as he embarks on his NFL career.
This case adds another layer to the Sanders family's public profile, which has been under scrutiny recently. From Shedeur Sanders' Pro Bowl recognition to Deion's ex-wife facing backlash over a game-day outfit, the family remains in the spotlight. As the trial progresses, all eyes will be on how Shilo's defense holds up under pressure.
