Tag Archives: Praise Martin-Oguike

Continuance set for former Temple football player awaiting trial

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A motion of continuance set by the commonwealth for a former Temple football player charged with raping a woman on campus has been delayed until Thursday.

Assistant District Attorney Joseph McGlynn was attending another trial while the defendant, Praise Martin-Ogikue, 19, was waiting in the courtroom with his parents by his side.

Martin-Ogikue is pending trial for an alleged rape of a woman during Memorial Day weekend in May 2012.

According to numerous news sources, a 21-year-old female Temple student was inside the defendant’s dorm room when he allegedly attacked her, forcing the victim upstairs and raped her before signing her out of his dorm apartment as if nothing happened.

During the motions hearing, Defense Attorney James A. Funt was not reluctant to mention his need to continue, expressing concerns of collecting and filing more than 40 text messages to be used as evidence for trial.

The trial is set to begin on Oct. 7.

Trial set for ex-football player

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The trial for Praise Martin-Oguike, a former football player who was arrested and charged with rape and sexual assault in June, was set for March 4, 2013 at a scheduling conference this morning.

Martin-Oguike was not present at the conference. He was suspended from the football team and the university pending the outcome of his criminal proceedings upon his arrest. Whether Martin-Oguike has appeared at a Temple Student Conduct hearing is unclear, but his lawyer said he won’t be in school this year.

Martin-Oguike’s defense presented a forensic report before the court at the scheduling conference. The report, conducted by former Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jonathan Arden, offers conclusions different from the claims made by the complainant in this case, a 21-year old female who said she was strangled and forcibly raped, Martin-Oguike’s lawyer said.

The prosecution will have 60 days to review the report before having the opportunity to submit a rebuttal at a status report scheduled for Dec. 14. A pre-trial was also scheduled for Feb. 28, 2013.

Kamal Johnson, a defensive tackle for the football team, was arrested on Oct. 5 and charged with kidnapping and assault. He was suspended from the football team, but his status as a student at the university has not changed, the university announced yesterday.