Jeff Garcia's girlfriend, ex square off at assault trial

The quarterback's Playmate girlfriend is accused of attacking an ex-girlfriend at Cleveland bar.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- This wasn't the postseason that Cleveland Browns quarterback Jeff Garcia wanted.
He sat outside Municipal Court on Tuesday, waiting for his Playboy Playmate girlfriend, Carmella DeCesare, to emerge from her trial on a misdemeanor charge of karate-kicking Garcia's ex-girlfriend in a barroom argument.
Garcia, whose first season in Cleveland was marred by injuries, inconsistent play and a 4-12 record, is listed as a trial witness along with teammate Melvin Fowler, an offensive lineman.
DeCesare, sipping water from a plastic bottle and holding her chin in her well-manicured fingers, frowned and sat forward as a prosecution witness described Kristen Hine's disheveled hair after the alleged attack in the city's Warehouse nightclub district.
DeCesare's attorney, Patrick D'Angelo, who specializes in defending police officers against charges of brutality, tried to discredit the witness by asking how much she drank and how often she went to bars. DeCesare watched closely, occasionally straightening her hair down her cheeks.
What happened
According to trial testimony, Garcia dated Hine, 32, four or five times but later dropped her for DeCesare, 22. Nasty phone calls and threatening voice mails followed and culminated in a confrontation last Aug. 21 at the Tramp nightclub.
Some name-calling occurred, and a friend of Hine's dumped a drink on DeCesare. Each woman had to be restrained and when Hine tried to walk away, DeCesare allegedly grabbed a dance pole and kicked Hine in the head, snapping her head back.
Judge Anita Laster Mays is hearing evidence without a jury and will render the verdict, expected in several days. Misdemeanors carry a maximum one-year jail term.