Leon Lawson Jr. Felony Charges Dropped
PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, MD – A judge has dismissed all felony charges against the uncle of Flint boxer Andre Dirrell, who sucker-punched Jose Uzcategui following Dirrell’s IBF world super middleweight title fight earlier this month.
In a preliminary exam on Friday, June 2, a Prince George County District Court judge dismissed all felonious assault charges against Leon Lawson Jr., who turned himself in to Maryland police this week.
Andre Dirrell’s uncle and trainer is charged with assault for an alleged incident at last week’s world title fight.
Lawson Jr. once faced up to a 25-year prison sentence and a $2,500 fine on the first-degree assault charge against and another 10 years on the second-degree assault charge.
Now, charges have been lessened to a single count of misdemeanor assault.
Lawson Jr.’s attorney, Frank J. Manley, said that his office is “pleased with this news and looking forward” to his client’s trial date on August 16.
Minutes after Dirrell was dropped Saturday, May 20, by an illegal blow to end the eighth round, his family entered the ring and reacted with punches of their own.
Dirrell’s brothers, Anthony and Willie, had to be restrained near ringside, while Lawson Jr. – Dirrell’s uncle and trainer – entered the ring to punch the Uzcategui, of Venezuela, with a left hook.
Dirrell was deemed unable to continue and left as the winner by way of disqualification, but he didn’t envision winning the interim IBF world super middleweight title in that fashion.
The Flint fighter said he didn’t know if the late shot was intentional or not, but did express forgiveness toward his competitor. He was also apologetic for his family’s actions, but said he understood their anger as fans booed.
“That’s my man, that’s my brother, that’s my uncle, that’s my coach,” Dirrell previously said. “He cares about my well-being first so I don’t understand why he did that, because, like I said, I feel fine but this is just the way the cards is dealt sometimes.”