Manhattan prosecutors aren’t ready to cut a plea deal yet with accused drunken anti-Semite Detroit Tiger Delmon Young — instead, they’ve gathered more evidence in the misdemeanor hate crime assault case against him.
The hot-headed $6.7 million-a-year outfielder was back in Manhattan criminal court this morning on the April case, which accuses him of shouting “F—ing Jews!” while randomly attacking a slightly-built male tourist in Midtown earlier this month. He came to court accompanied by a lawyer and a bulky bodyguard twice his size.
Prosecutors told Young today that they have no plea offer to make him as yet. Additionally, at least four eyewitnesses have signed affidavits accusing him in the fracas.
The sloshed slugger allegedly sprang into violence outside the Hilton Hotel on Sixth Avenue after seeing four tourists — in town for a bachelor party — conversing with a panhandler who was wearing a yarmulke and a Star of David.
Young is accused of throwing one of the men, a businessman from Schaumburg, Ill., into a wall and tackling him before the scuffle was broken up.
Defense lawyer Daniel Ollen has stressed that Young has no criminal record, and says someone in the tourist’s party may have instigated the caught-on-video scuffle.
“He’s a good guy who had a bad night,” Ollen said .”He’s sorry for what happened — he’s moving forward with life and looking forward to this being resolved.”
While in the minors in 2006, Young was suspended 50 games for throwing a bat at an umpire.
At the time of the April 27 fracas, Young had been in town for a Yankees game. He was benched without pay for a week and remains free on $5,000 pending his next court date August 2.
He faces anywhere from no jail up to a year behind bars if convicted.