San Diego Padres star Brian Giles attorney is making a vigorous defense of his client, according to a published report.
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While lawyer James Scott conceded that an incident between Giles and his longtime ex, Cheri Olvera, in Phoenix in 2006 that was caught on tape was "unfortunate," Scott pointed out to the North County Times that a misdemeanor domestic violence charge stemming from the incident was dismissed after Giles attended anger-management counseling. On the tape, the couple can be seen leaving a bar, and then a person in the room they entered can be seen through a doorway falling to the ground.
"There's a very genuine defense here," Scott told the paper. "Unfortunately, there's this one incident in Arizona, and Brian dealt with it like a man. He wasn't convicted. It was dismissed by the court. That's the high and low of it."
Police in Arizona said that both Giles and Olvera initially denied the incident occurred, both in person and over the phone.
Scott said Olvera was abusive during her relationship with Giles.
"[Olvera] is very nasty and very aggressive," Scott told the paper. "Witnesses saw her hitting him and pulling his hair. We have documented evidence and a lot of nasty voice mails."
Olvera sued Giles last week for $10 million, alleging physical abuse that she said included an attack that caused a miscarriage. The couple were together for six year prior to breaking it off in April 2008.
"Brian severely beat Cheri on many occasions," Cary Goldstein, Olvera's attorney, told the paper. "She's a severely abused woman."
Read the North County Times' "Lawyer Says Giles Will Fight Lawsuit" story for more details.
