Sports briefs for April 30, 2004

Friday, April 30, 2004 | 10:19 a.m.

Jayson Williams jury split on two counts

Split on two of eight charges, the jury in Jayson Williams' manslaughter trial in Somerville, N.J., today began reviewing testimony about what happened just before a limousine service driver was shot to death.

The jury said Thursday it had reached decisions on the other six charges but did not specify which ones.

Jurors today began their fourth day of deliberations by hearing readbacks from three prosecution witnesses.

The jury had asked to rehear testimony on what happened at Williams' mansion in the early hours of Feb. 14, 2002, from the time the witnesses entered the study to the moment Williams shot Costas "Gus" Christofi in the adjacent bedroom. The defense says the shooting was an accident.

The witnesses are Harlem Globetrotters Paul Gaffney and Chris Morris, who were also the subjects of earlier readback requests, and Kent Culuko, a would-be business partner of Williams the defense has portrayed as the architect of an alleged cover-up.

The note on the split was sent Thursday afternoon, after about 15 hours of deliberations.

"Jury has decided six charges," the note read. "We're split on two others. The two charges have been discussed at length. No decision can be reached on these two charges."

State Superior Court Judge Edward M. Coleman and the lawyers for both sides agreed he should instruct the jury to continue working.

About five minutes later, they sent another note, seeking the new readbacks that started this morning. By the time the jury was sent home for the night, it had spent about 18 hours deliberating.

Among the charges facing Williams, 36, are aggravated manslaughter -- the most serious with a potential sentence of 30 years -- reckless manslaughter, assault, a weapons violation and tampering with witnesses.

Agassi skips Italy

Andre Agassi saidi today he will skip the Italian Open, a tournament he won two years ago. He will play only one clay-court event before the French Open.

Rebels snowed out

UNLV (25-16, 12-5) will have to wait until at least Saturday to start its weekend series with Air Force (5-30, 0-11). Their game today at Falcon Field was postponed because of snow, the fourth consecutive Air Force home game wiped out by wintry weather.

Britain loses medal

Britain today was stripped of the men's 4x100 meters relay silver medal from last year's World Championships because team member Dwain Chambers did not make a final appeal against a doping offense.

Spadafora wins

Paul Spadafora, in his first outing as a welterweight since relinquishing the IBF lightweight title, outpointed Ruben Galvan in a 10-round bout at Canonsburg, Pa.