Deion Sanders Released From Subpoena in Shilo Sanders Bankruptcy Trial

Deion Sanders Released From Subpoena as Denver Trial Nears End

Thursday marked a significant legal turning point in the courtroom of U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael E. Romero. The presiding judge formally declared that Colorado Buffaloes head football coach Deion Sanders was released from his subpoena, sparing him from taking the stand on the final day of the proceedings. The decision came just one day after the Colorado team opened its season with an upset victory against Georgia Tech, relieving the coach of further courtroom obligations.

The underlying legal battle centers on Shilo Sanders’ efforts to discharge an $11.89 million judgment awarded to former school security guard John Darjean. Darjean sued Shilo Sanders in 2016 following a 2015 confrontation at Focus Learning Academy in Dallas when Sanders was 15 years old. Because Sanders did not show up for the 2022 trial in Texas, Darjean secured a default judgment. Shilo Sanders subsequently filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2023, setting up the current Denver trial to determine if the debt can be erased.

Contradictory Testimony and Missing Footage Complicate the Case

While the elder Sanders avoided testifying, the trial saw tense courtroom moments involving witness testimony regarding the 2015 incident. Ruda Nash James, a former school administrator who testified as a witness for Shilo Sanders, stated that she saw Darjean choking Sanders. However, Darjean’s attorney, Ori Raphael, challenged that account by playing a recorded phone call between James and Shilo’s mother, Pilar Sanders, made on the day of the incident.

“Did you see his hand around Shilo’s neck?”

Pilar Sanders, via USA Today

When pressed with the audio recording where she initially replied I didn’t see the neck part and I didn’t see all that, James stated that she did not know the context of her prior statements, noting that her written statement represented her collected thoughts. Police and medical reports from the day of the altercation were also presented in court, showing differing accounts of whether an assault occurred.

Shilo Sanders Creditor John Darjean Collapses At Bankruptcy Trial

Creditor John Darjean Collapses in Court Amid Chronic Pain Testimony

The trial took a severe physical toll on Thursday when John Darjean, 50, collapsed in the courtroom after spending more than two hours on the witness stand. Darjean told the court earlier in the day that he was dealing with excruciating back pain, which he attributes to permanent injuries aggravated during the 2015 confrontation. Emergency responders transported Darjean to a local hospital via ambulance, though he was released later that evening.

Darjean’s medical condition has been a central point of contention throughout the proceedings. Earlier in the trial, medical testimony from Dr. Michael Phillips supported the legitimacy of the plaintiff’s injuries.

“If someone’s faking, they don’t generally get multilevel cervical spine surgery,” Phillips said in the video. “And they don’t have neuropathic pain after, with neuropathic conditions.”

Dr. Michael Phillips, via USA Today

Conversely, Shilo Sanders’ attorney, Victor Vital, attempted to question Darjean about pre-existing conditions, including a past diagnosis of degenerative disc disease from playing minor-league baseball. Judge Romero cut off that line of questioning, ruling that the original causation of Darjean’s injuries is not the focus of the bankruptcy proceeding.

Closing Arguments and Timeline for Judge Romero’s Ruling

Following five days of testimony, the trial concluded on Friday with closing arguments in Denver bankruptcy court. Victor Vital utilized security video footage during his arguments to contend that the available timeline does not support Darjean’s version of events. Meanwhile, Ori Raphael pointed to consistent witness testimony and police records to argue that Sanders acted intentionally to inflict harm.

Under U.S. bankruptcy law, debts arising from a willful and malicious injury cannot be discharged through Chapter 7 bankruptcy, leaving Judge Romero to decide the outcome. The court gave both legal teams until mid-November to file written closing statements and responses, meaning a final written opinion or oral ruling will not arrive for several months.