Perrish Cox wants sex assault hearing closed to media, public

Denver Broncos cornerback Perrish Cox doesn't want an audience for his sexual assault trial.

His lawyer, Harvey Steinberg, filed a motion requesting that media and the public not be allowed to attend the NFL player's preliminary hearing, according to the Denvrer Post.

According to Steinberg, the presence of reporters would "severely impact the defendant's right to trial by a fair and impartial jury. The release of such information creates a clear and present danger to the court's ability to conduct a fair and impartial trial. The media should be excluded from the preliminary hearing."

Meanwhile, a lawyer for the Denver Post, Associated Press and the New York Times is challenging the motion.

"It has no basis in law," lawyer Steve Zansberg said. "The defendant cannot possibly meet that standard, and that is why preliminary hearings are uniformly open, including that of Kobe Bryant."

Arrested in December, Cox was accused of sexual assault in late October stemming from an alleged Sept. 6 incident.

Cox is dealing with two felony charges. He allegedly sexually assaulted  "a helpless victim incapable of appraising her own condition.

National Football Post asked Broncos coach John Fox about Cox's legal situation at the NFL scouting combine.

"Not just referencing one guy, I think that's an issue really around the National Football League," Fox said. "It's obvously something we take very serious. I know the league does, and I know our organization will. So, again, you work your rearend off to not have anything like that happen.

"But we're just a microcosm of this whole thing. That stuff happens. You try to avoid it. You try to educate. You try to make guys realize decision making is important. You try to best to not let that happen, and go from there.. But you're not going to eliminate it.''

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