Judge not ready to hand down ruling in Morant immunity hearing

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Tennessee judge said Wednesday she would not immediately rule on whether Ja Morant's legal team successfully argued he was immune from prosecution by a teenager he hit during a pickup game in 2022.

According to The Commercial Appeal, Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Carol Chumney said she needed more time because of the lack of precedent surrounding the lawsuit.

“Everyone was hoping for some big decision, or some finality, or something like that,” Chumney said. “These are important legal questions.”

Wednesday's hearing was a continuation of a hearing that began on December 11. The hearing focused on Morant's motion to dismiss the lawsuit under Tennessee's so-called Basic Law. Morant's lawyers say he is exempt from liability under the law, which allows people who feel threatened in their homes to act forcefully in certain situations. The law is used in criminal cases, but Chumney's ruling last month allowed Morant's lawyers to apply it in civil cases.

The lawsuit filed by Joshua Holloway accuses Morant of assaulting him when the Memphis Grizzlies All-Star guard punched him during a pickup game at Morant's parents' home on July 26, 2022. Then 17 years old, Holloway had been invited to play on the private court. of the Morant family. Holloway is now 18 years old and plays for Samford University.

Morant said he was defending himself after Holloway threw the basketball at him aggressively with a one-handed baseball-style pass and hit him in the face during a check-ball situation. A “check” is a common practice in pickup games in which two opposing players pass the ball to each other and check whether their teammates are ready, often before starting a game or after a foul.

Additionally, the NBA suspended Morant for the first 25 games of the season after a video of him brandishing a handgun was posted online. The video shows Morant sitting in the passenger seat of a car and was released after he served an eight-game suspension in March for another video in which he displayed a handgun at a Chicago-area strip club. Denver.

Morant apologized for both videos. He returned to the court Tuesday with an emotional 34-point start to the season.

Ja Morant's father, Tee Morant, said the family has been inviting young local basketball players and Ja Morant's friends to play on their large court for years. Morant's parents prepare a meal for the players after pick-up games.

Holloway had been invited to perform on several occasions and had formed a friendly relationship with the Morants. Ja Morant testified that the teen was well behaved and showed respect to him and his family during his previous visits.