Sex assault cases against three ex-MSU players move toward trial

LANSING - The cases involving sexual assault allegations against three ex-Michigan State University football players continue to move toward trial.

Josh King, Donnie Corley and Demetric Vance each face sexual assault charges stemming from an incident during a party at a campus apartment in January 2017. 

Attorneys representing the three players met with prosecutors inside Judge Rosemarie Aquilina's chambers at a pretrial conference Wednesday morning in Ingham County Circuit Court. The players, who remain free after posting bond, waited outside the courtroom with friends and family.

After about 30 minutes, officials announced there would be no hearing held in open court.

Assistant Ingham County Prosecutor Steve Kwasnik said another hearing is set for April 4. He declined to comment further.

"I think we are gearing up for a trial just like any other case," said Mary Chartier, who represents Vance. Attorneys representing King and Corley declined to comment.

In October, the attorneys and prosecutors discussed a possible plea deal during a conference in Aquilina's chambers.

In what is known as a Cobbs agreement, defendants in Michigan sometimes reach plea deals with prosecutors that specify a maximum sentence. A judge can advise a defendant on what their likely sentence would be, but judges are free to change their mind after reviewing pre-sentence information or other factors. If the judge's planned sentence is going to exceed the agreed-upon cap, a defendant has the right to withdraw his or her plea.

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King, 20, of Darien, Illinois, is charged with one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, as well as with capturing an image of an unclothed person. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.

Corley, 20, and Vance, 20, both of Detroit, are charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct. They each face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Michigan State University Police said at a hearing that led to the charges that the victim reported King invited her to "speak somewhere quiet," then "pulled" her into a bathroom and forced her to perform oral and vaginal sex; Corley and Vance were each accused of later forcing her to perform oral sex. 

Police also allege that King recorded himself having sex with the woman.

The former players, who had been suspended from the team during the police investigation, were dismissed from the football team after they were charged in June. They were also dismissed from MSU following university Title IX investigations.  

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A fourth former player, 20-year-old defensive end Auston Robertson, awaits trial on two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection with a separate incident.

Contact Christopher Haxel at 517-377-1261 or chaxel@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisHaxel.