Deion Sanders will not have to testify at his son Shilo’s bankruptcy trial

DENVER – Colorado football coach Deion Sanders will not have to testify at his son Shilo’s bankruptcy trial on Friday, Sept. 4, after the judge in the case determined it will not be necessary based on how the trial progressed since Aug. 31.

Deion Sanders had been told to be available to testify remotely at 1:30 p.m. MT Friday, if necessary, according to a ruling Aug. 27 by Judge Michael Romero. That would be one day after his team opened the season at Georgia Tech Sept. 3.

Security guard gives graphic testimony in Shilo Sanders bankruptcy trial

But because certain topics didn’t come up at trial that would have required Sanders to testify about them in the rebuttal phase of the trial, the coach will not need to appear in his son’s proceeding after all.

Shilo Sanders, a former Colorado football player, is trying to break free from $12 million in debt he owes to John Darjean, a former security guard at his school in Dallas. Darjean sued Shilo Sanders in 2016, accusing him of assaulting him and permanently injuring him at Focus Learning Academy in Dallas on Sept. 17, 2015, when Shilo Sanders was 15.

Darjean then won an $11.89 default judgment against Shilo Sanders when Shilo Sanders didn’t show up for the trial in 2022.

Deion Sanders served as Darjean’s boss at the school back then when Darjean was the baseball coach. Darjean also testified in court Sept. 2 that he spoke with Deion Sanders by phone that day when Sanders told him to confiscate Shilo Sanders’ phone.

When Darjean did try to take the phone, Darjean testified Shilo Sanders delivered a roundhouse elbow to his neck area and two punches to the face. Shilo Sanders, 26, denied that and said Darjean attacked him, contrary to what other witnesses said and contrary to findings in the Texas state court in 2022.

Deion Sanders did appear vie prerecorded video at the trial Sept. 1, when Darjean’s attorney played a one-minute snippet of Sanders’ deposition testimony from Darjean’s lawsuit in 2018. In that testimony, Deion Sanders said he told Darjean handle the situation with his son like he would handle others.

A verdict from the judge could come sometime after the trial. At stake is whether Shilo Sanders can pursue a discharge of the debt or must remain on the hook to pay Darjean the judgment.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Deion Sanders will not have to testify at his son Shilo’s bankruptcy trial