Three UCLA players in legal limbo after incident in China
The three UCLA basketball players questioned over shoplifting allegations in Hangzhou, China, could face a lengthy legal limbo depending on the actions of authorities handling their case, an expert in Chinese law said Wednesday.
Freshmen LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill remained in a hotel in Hangzhou to await further developments in the legal process while their teammates traveled to Shanghai for the team’s season opener Friday against Georgia Tech.
Multiple media outlets reported that the players had been released on bail.
The trio will not play against the Yellow Jackets and could miss additional games. Chinese authorities have up to 37 days before deciding whether to obtain official approval for an arrest, said Margaret K. Lewis, a Seton Hall professor of law specializing in the Chinese legal system.
That doesn’t mean that authorities would necessarily take that long in a case that reportedly involves merchandise taken from a Louis Vuitton store next to the team hotel.
Lewis said an arrest would trigger an investigation that could last up to two additional months before prosecutors decided whether to bring formal charges.
“If formal charges are brought against the basketball players, the conviction rate in China is over 99 percent,” Lewis said. “What’s important in this early stage is what charges are brought because once they are brought it becomes an issue of what the sentence will be, not whether they will be found guilty or not.”
In other college basketball news:
• Auburn fired associate head basketball coach Chuck Person, who has been indicted on federal bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges. The university announced the move a day after Person and seven others were indicted by a federal grand jury in New York City. The school said Person, 53, was fired Oct. 18. He had been suspended without pay after his arrest in September.
BASEBALL Altuve honored twice by players
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve was named MLB Player of the Year and American League Most Outstanding Player in Players Choice awards handed out by the Major League Baseball Players Association.
This is the second consecutive year that Altuve earned both honors in voting by his peers.
Miami outfielder Giancarlo Stanton won the National League award.
Altuve, who also was voted Sporting News player of the year and received the Hank Aaron Award, is a finalist along with the Yankees’ Aaron Judge and the Indians’ Jose Ramirez for the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s AL MVP Award. The winner will be announced Nov. 16.
MISCELLANEOUS Almirola named to replace Patrick
Aric Almirola officially was named Danica Patrick’s replacement at Stewart-Haas Racing. The move was expected after Smithfield Foods moved its sponsorship from Richard Petty Motorsports to SHR for the 2018 Cup racing season. Almirola has been partnered with Smithfield with Petty. … Former Lyon and Aston Villa manager Remi Garde was hired as head coach and director of player personnel of Major League Soccer’s Montreal Impact . ... Atlanta midfielder Julian Gressel was been voted MLS Rookie of the Year. The 23-year-old German, selected with the eighth overall draft pick this year after playing at Providence, had five goals and nine assists in 32 league games.