JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A jury spent Monday listening intently to a secretly recorded tape of profanities, music and muddled conversation that prosecutors claim to be their best evidence in the trial of a man charged with the attempted murder of a Jacksonville Jaguars player. Tuesday, the defense team began to attack the credibility of the man who made the recording.
Tyrone Hartsfield is accused in the Sept. 2, 2008, shooting of offensive lineman Richard Collier outside a Riverside apartment building. Collier survived being shot 14 times, but remains paralyzed from the waist down, and his left leg was amputated.
Prosecutors said Hartsfield was bent on revenge when he shot the football player, who had knocked him out in a bar fight several months before the shooting.
The state's chief witness is Stephfan Wilson, who testified earlier that he sat inside Hartsfield's car after they had followed Collier from a nightclub and heard the shots fired, agreed to record a conversation with Hartsfield.
Looking to undermine Wilson's credibility, defense attorneys argued Tuesday that Wilson has repeatedly lied to police, has a drug problem and is after money.
Prosecutors argued that even though Wilson initially lied to police, he eventually came clean.
"No, (Hartsfield)'s not an innocent man," Wilson said on the stand. "I'm not making this up about him."
Wilson did admit in court Tuesday that he is an ex-con, that he's on probation and that he doesn't want to go back to prison. Defense attorneys said those three things serve as additional motivation for Wilson to provide false testimony.
Wilson, 39, was on the stand Monday as prosecutors played hours of a recording of his conversation with Hartsfield. Police persuaded Wilson to wear a recording device after they showed him records that he and Hartsfield had six cell phone calls the night of the shooting.
"The only thing they got on me is you," Hartsfield said. "... They ain't got nobody to take that stand. They ain't got no case. They ain't hardly got no other witnesses."
Wilson laid out the crime in one of his conversations with Hartsfield.
"Yeah, I rode with you. ... But I ain't pull no trigger. I didn't have no beef with this man," Wilson said.
In the tape, Wilson explains several times that he is on federal probation and could go back to prison for a bank robbery conviction.
"We got to get our story straight," Hartsfield says.
A few minutes later, Hartsfield states, "They ain't got nothin', they aren't gonna have nothin'."
Hartsfield's defense team asked Wilson more about his history as a convicted felon, said they had proof he had previously lied to police and asked why he did nothing to stop Hartsfield from shooting Collier. The lawyers also suggested that Wilson cooperated with police because he was trying to get the reward money being offered for Hartsfield's conviction.
Much of the audio tape is unintelligible. Music plays in the background and it is often difficult to distinguish who is talking.
The judge, prosecutors, defense attorneys and jurors are following on 123-page transcripts, but even those were unclear.
Wilson testified that Hartsfield became suspicious and asked him if he was wearing a wire. Wilson said he unbuttoned his shirt to show he wasn't.
The tapes were made the day Hartsfield was arrested on a charge of attempted murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
"They can't implicate you and say you was there. Without me being there, they can't do nothing to you," Wilson told Hartsfield.
After the cross examination of Wilson continue, prosecutors called one other witness, then rested. The defense began presenting its case midafternoon Tuesday.
The trial began on Oct. 26 and Judge Mallory Cooper was hoping it could be completed this week.
Previous Stories: - November 2, 2009: 'Smoking Gun' Played In Shooting Case
- October 30, 2009: Phone Use Puts Hartsfield Near Shooting
- October 29, 2009: Witness Heard Hartsfield Fire Shots
- October 28, 2009: Woman Saw Collier Shot, Can't ID Shooter
- October 27, 2009: Collier Testifies Against Hartsfield
- October 26, 2009: Man On Trial In Jaguars Player Shooting
- April 23, 2009: Hartsfield Jailhouse Calls Released
- April 1, 2009: Collier Shooting Trial Delayed, Again
- March 31, 2009: Richard Collier Shares Story With Other Crime Victims
- March 27, 2009: Collier Shooting Trial Delayed
- March 27, 2009: Richard Collier Thanks Blood Alliance Donors
- March 23, 2009: Trial Of Man Accused Of Shooting Jaguars Player May Be Delayed
- March 19, 2009: Man Faces March 30 Trial In Collier Shooting
- January 14, 2009: Man Accused Of Shooting Jags Player Wants Bond
- January 12, 2009: Ex-Public Defenders Hired To Defend Man Accused Of Shooting Richard Collier
- January 5, 2009: Interviews Gives Details Of Collier Shooting
- December 19, 2008: Collier Returns To Field As Honorary Jaguars Captain
- December 3, 2008: Richard Collier Speaks Out About Shooting
- November 10, 2008: Man Pleads Not Guilty In Jaguar's Shooting
- November 3, 2008: 20 Hospital Workers Fired for Viewing Collier's Medical Records
- October 23, 2008: Jaguars Back At Practice, Thinking Of Collier
- October 20, 2008: Police: Bar Fight Prompted Shooting Of Jaguars' Player
- October 20, 2008: Police Make Arrest In Jaguars' Player Shooting
- October 14, 2008: Rel Rio: Collier Out Of Hospital, Recovering
- October 1, 2008: Woman With Collier On Night Of Shooting Says She Is Tormented
- September 30, 2008: College Honors Collier By Wearing His Number On Helmet
- September 30, 2008: Surgeon: Collier Paralyzed, Loses Left Leg
- September 10, 2008: Woman With Collier On Night Of Shooting Speaks Out
- September 9, 2008: Teammates Add To Reward In Collier Shooting Case
- September 5, 2008: Report: Collier Making Gradual Improvement
- September 3, 2008: Jaguars Tackle Critical After Shooting
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