Napa D.A.: No charges for Cable

Raiders head coach Tom Cable will not be charged in connection with an alleged assault that left assistant Randy Hanson with a fractured jaw but Hanson’s lawyer vows this isn’t the end of things.

Napa Count District Attorney Gary Lieberstein told reporters Thursday he would not bring charges against Cable, citing Hanson’s inconsistencies in interviews with police and reporters among other things.

“Under the facts and circumstances of this case, it would be a miscarriage of justice to purse criminal charges,” Lieberstein said. “And we will not ask our citizens to give up their valuable time for jury duty, not will we allow our criminal justice system to be compromised.”

Cable has maintained from the beginning that he wasn’t worried about the potential criminal charges stemming from the incident. He stayed that way throughout the investigation by the Napa Police Department and didn’t seem too concerned in the hour before Lieberstein’s long-awaited announcement.

“I trust in what’s right,” Cable said when asked if he was worried about the pending announcement. “I coach this team, that’s my job and I’ve really been focused on it. The fact that I believe in what’s right, that’s really all I can say. I trust it.”

While Liebertstein’s decision not to press forward with charges against Cable ends the legal side of the situation, the Raiders coach is almost certain to face a civil lawsuit, according to Hanson’s attorney, John McGuinn.

“It’s on the horizon,” McGuinn said. “There’s no immediacy because we have plenty of time left.”

McGuinn has repeatedly hinted that he didn’t think Cable would be charged primarily due to the Raiders’ connection with Napa. The team has held its training camp at the Napa Marriott since 1996.

“It’s hard for me to know what motivates the DA, but I told the police, ‘Look, I know you guys don’t want to prosecute. You have the Raider training camp here. You’ve had it for many years. You’d like to keep it,’^” McGuinn said. “There’s perhaps a concern that they will not return if they prosecute. I think there was an interesting article in the (San Jose) Mercury today, that if you want to commit assault, move to Napa. That’s the place to do it. I mean, this man’s jaw is broken, there’s no question about that. And people’s jaws don’t get broken accidentally.

“All I now is they had abundant evidence to proceed, but they chose not to. I don’t know why they didn’t.”

Just how much credibility Hanson will have in a civil case is uncertain. Liebertstein repeatedly shot holes in Hanson’s multiple accounts of the incident because of repeated inconsistencies.

“Something happened but even he doesn’t know how it happened,” Lieberstein said, adding the other coaches interviewed gave consistent statements when interviewed by police and the DA’s office. “I don’t even think he has a good idea.”

McGuinn declined to say whether or not Hanson has stayed in contact with some of the Raiders players, as has been rumored. He also said he had been unable to reach the Raiders regarding Hanson’s status with the team.