NEW CITY, N.Y. — Hall of
Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to an
indictment that alleges he had sex with a 16-year-old girl in a New York
hotel room.
The former NFL star allegedly
paid $300 to the girl, a Bronx runaway, for their encounter in May.
Taylor pleaded not guilty through his lawyer to third-degree rape,
patronizing a prostitute, sexual abuse and endangering a child.
In the gallery, before his case
was called, Taylor, 51, smiled, looked around and said, "It must be a
slow news day." He also said to a friend, "You're not playing golf
today, are you?"
Earlier, when a reporter asked
outside court if he was guilty, Taylor responded, "Grow up."
Taylor was arrested May 6, after
the girl's uncle contacted New York City police. He could be imprisoned
for up to four years if convicted.
Defense attorney Arthur Aidala
said Taylor would challenge the girl's identification of him. Aidala
also said the defense would look into whether all statements made in the
case were voluntary.
"A plea bargain is possible at
any time in any case," he said in response to questions. But in this
case, "There is no plea bargain. There is no offer."
One potential witness is a
23-year-old woman who told defense investigators that she heard the girl
say after meeting Taylor, "It was weird. … We didn't even have sex."
Aidala said Taylor is "doing the
best he can under the circumstances."
"Mr. Taylor is very much looking
forward to going forward, putting this behind him, and going on to live
his life," the lawyer said.
Taylor's wife sat in a front row
of the courtroom during the proceeding. "His family is very supportive
of him; his business colleagues are very supportive of him," Aidala
said.
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan
have filed a complaint against Rasheed Davis, who is accused of acting
as the girl's pimp and who allegedly assaulted her and brought her to
Taylor's hotel room in Montebello against her will. Court papers in that
case say Taylor admitted to sex acts with the girl but was told the
girl was 19.
Ignorance of a minor's age is
not a defense to third-degree rape, said Peter Brower, chief of the
Ramapo police force that arrested Taylor.
Rockland County District
Attorney Thomas Zugibe declined to comment on the case Monday.
At the time of the indictment,
he said, "One of the most effective ways to target prostitution is to go
after the johns. … This indictment underscores our serious commitment
to prosecuting those defendants who create a market for the region's
growing sex trade."
Taylor led the New York Giants
to Super Bowl titles in 1987 and 1991. He was the National Football
League's MVP in 1986 and Defensive Player of the Year in 1981, 1982 and
1986. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.