Ex-Wolverine charged wif rape

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Ex-Wolverine charged wif rape

Former Wolverines cornerback charged with rape

A former University of Michigan football standout was charged today with raping a woman in her friend's Pittsfield Township apartment over the weekend.

[Photo: Detroit Free Press]

James Lavell Whitley was arraigned on one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct at the Washtenaw County Jail this afternoon.

Whitley, 29, was arrested at his Ann Arbor home Sunday, a few hours afte
r a 31-year-old woman reported that he sexually assaulted her, township Detective Lt. Steve Heller said.

The victim told officers she celebrated her friend's birthday at a local bar and returned to that woman's apartment to spend the night. The friend, who was romantically involved with Whitley, invited him to the apartment. The victim said she went to sleep on an air mattress in another room and awoke shortly after 6 a.m. with Whitley sexually assaulting her, Heller said.

In court today, Whitley stood mute to the charge, which is punishable to up to 15 years in prison. Royal Oak-based attorney Marcus Connor, who represents Whitley, said his client will be found innocent when all the facts come to light.

In arguing for a personal bond, Connor said Whitley still could play in the NFL and needs to be free to pursue those opportunities. He said Whitley graduated from U-M in 2007 with a degree in sports management and communications.

Whitley's bond was set at 10 percent of $150,000.
He's scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 29.

Whitley, a cornerback who came to U-M from Norfolk, Va., played in 47 career games for the Wolverines and started in 33. As a senior in 2000, Whitley finished sixth on the team with 49 tackles.

Whitley, a former co-captain, was dismissed from the team after his arrest for carrying a gun in 2000. Whitley and another former teammate went to the apartment of the teammate's ex-girlfriend, and officers discovered a gun in Whitley's jacket pocket after the woman called police.

He pleaded guilty to possessing a concealed weapon and was sentenced to one year of probation and 20 hours of community services, court records show.

The Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League signed Whitley for the 2001 season. He then played sparingly in the NFL for St. Louis, Green Bay and Carolina before returning to the CFL in 2005.

Whitley spent the past two seasons with the Georgia Force of the Arena Footb
all League, an indoor football league that canceled its 2009 season for economic reasons.