Katie Burns, ESPN.com
INDIANAPOLIS — Michael Lewis, who was arrested on a felony charge for allegedly stalking WNBA star Caitlin Clark, appeared in court Tuesday but was immediately reprimanded for speaking by a judge.
Upon entering the Marion County Superior Courtroom, Lewis sat back in his chair and said, “Guilty as charged,” interrupting court proceedings multiple times.
“You have the right to remain silent, and I expect you to exercise that right against me,” Judge Angela Davis said. When Lewis, 55, continued, she again told him to “stop talking.”
Davis entered a not guilty plea on Lewis’ behalf and said he would not accept a guilty plea at the first hearing. She appointed public defender Gavin Uitflugt to Lewis’ case.
Lewis was ordered held on $50,000 bail, and Davis was ordered to stay away from Gainbridge Fieldhouse and Hinkle Fieldhouse, the basketball stadiums in Indianapolis that host home games for Clark and the Indiana Fever, and for the current WNBA rookie. He was ordered to have no contact with Lewis. year.
Lewis could face up to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Lewis is listed in court documents as a resident of Denton, Texas, but he told the court he lived in his car, which he drove to Indianapolis. Lewis was arrested at an Indianapolis hotel after allegedly posting multiple explicit messages on social media and tagging Clark.
The message read: “I’m buying tickets. I’m sitting behind the bench.”
“They said I was sending threatening texts…but all I had in my head was…CAITLIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNN,” read another.
Additional posts contained sexually violent content.
Prosecutors said in court documents that these posts “caused Caitlin Clark to feel fear, terror, intimidation, or intimidation,” and that implicit or explicit threats also “made Caitlin Clark feel fearful, frightened, threatened, or threatened.” It was done with the intention of giving to Caitlin Clark.
“It takes a lot of courage for a woman to come forward in a case like this, which is why so many don’t come forward,” Marion County Attorney Ryan Mears said Monday. “In doing so, the victim will set an example for all women who deserve to live and work in Indy without the threat of sexual violence.
“We commend Pacers Sports & Entertainment and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office for their swift and serious actions that led to this weekend’s arrest.”
Lewis is scheduled to return to Marion County Superior Court on March 31 for a pretrial hearing.
In December, a 40-year-old man from Oregon pleaded guilty to stalking UW basketball star Paige Bueckers and was sentenced to one year of probation and three years of probation.
