A bankruptcy trial involving Shilo Sanders, son of Colorado football coach Deion Sanders, begins Monday in Denver and will examine a 2015 incident at a Dallas school when Shilo was 15 years old. The case centers on whether the former safety should be able to discharge more than $11 million in debt stemming from an alleged assault on school security guard John Darjean.
The trial is unusual because bankruptcy cases rarely proceed to court, and this one concerns an incident from over a decade ago. Shilo Sanders previously failed to appear at a 2022 trial in Dallas, where a judge ruled against him by default and awarded Darjean $11.89 million. Now in bankruptcy court, Shilo Sanders is attempting to have the judgment discharged, while Darjean fights to collect what he is owed.
The central legal question involves whether Darjean’s injuries resulted from a “willful and malicious” attack, which would prevent discharge under bankruptcy law. Shilo Sanders’ legal team plans to argue he acted in self-defense rather than with malicious intent. Judge Michael Romero will decide the case without a jury, relying on evidence including video testimony from the earlier Dallas proceeding. Deion Sanders may be called as a witness on September 4 if necessary.
If Shilo Sanders loses, he remains responsible for the full judgment amount, though collecting such a large debt could prove difficult. A victory would clear a major hurdle toward discharging the debt, though additional legal complaints from Darjean and the bankruptcy trustee remain unresolved.
Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
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