Newz Forum: FOOTBALL: Jury clears Ravens' Fuller of gambling, gun charges

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Baltimore Ravens cornerback Corey Fuller was acquitted Saturday of all three gambling and gun charges after being accused of running high-stakes card games at his house.

The six-member jury deliberated less than two hours before rejecting two days of prosecution testimony on charges carrying a possible five-year prison sentence.

"It's ridiculous how the state and these officers took this charge and ran with it," Fuller said after the acquittal. "I feel sorry for the guys who have been on trial that have no money and can't afford great lawyers."

The prosecution failed to prove Fuller either kept a gambling house, a felony, or gambled illegally, a misdemeanor. The verdict on the felony count automatically cleared him of a related weapons charge.

"Everything he tells you has an independent, innocent, non-criminal explanation," defense attorney Gary Roberts said in closing arguments.

But prosecutor Matt Smith told jurors that Fuller presided over the card games like "a pit boss," armed and demanding the house cut, which was put in a shoe box on the game room floor.

"It's not a game room," Smith told jurors. "It's Casino Fuller, that's what it was."

An undercover agent testified he saw hundreds of dollars being wagered. State law allows card players to gamble up to $10 a hand. The agent did not see Fuller gambling, but a witness testified she saw him playing a game called Georgia Skins. Jurors saw a videotape of the raid that included a profane response to police ramming Fuller's front door.

Fuller acknowledged he was carrying a holstered gun when his house was raided last April 20. The 33-year-old player acquired a concealed weapon permit after a shootout at his house earlier in the year. Fuller blamed authorities for not finding the culprits.

Fuller, a 10-year NFL veteran, had 13 tackles and no sacks in 14 games this season. He spends the offseason in Tallahassee, where he starred in high school and college before being drafted in the second round. He also has played for the Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns.

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