DE Peppers' Court Date Moved Up

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) â€” North Carolina defensive end and basketball reserve Julius Peppers will have his day in court on Aug. 4 instead of Aug. 28. <br><br>Due to a magistrate's error, the case

Monday, July 31st 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) â€” North Carolina defensive end and basketball reserve Julius Peppers will have his day in court on Aug. 4 instead of Aug. 28.

Due to a magistrate's error, the case was assigned to Aug. 28, Chief District Court Judge Joe Buckner said Friday. The assault charges Peppers faces were brought by a citizen instead of police and should have been assigned to the people's court, which is held the first Friday of the month in Hillsborough, Buckner said.

Peppers was charged with misdemeanor assault and battery following an incident that allegedly occurred early July 21 outside the Time-Out Restaurant on West Franklin Street.

Andre Harris, 18, of Mebane, lodged the complaint against Peppers. He said in the statement accompanying the complaint that he saw Peppers ``stomp'' on someone, then Peppers ``hit me with a forearm or something in my head.''

He alleges that Peppers then ``went right back and continued to stomp on the helpless victim,'' whom he realized was his best friend after police broke up the fight.

Cases that come through the people's court are sent to mediation first, the judge said, and if that fails the case could go to trial.