Clarett fires attorneys as burglary trial nears

The lawyers say they haven't been paid and their client wasn't cooperating.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- Two weeks before his trial on aggravated burglary and weapons charges, former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett does not have an attorney.
In a single-paragraph letter Clarett wrote July 20, he said he fired attorneys William Settina and Robert Krapenc. They filed a motion Monday saying they do not wish to continue as Clarett's lawyers, saying he has not paid their fees and is not cooperating in his own defense.
Court documents do not list any other attorney for Clarett.
Common Pleas Judge David S. Fais scheduled a hearing for this morning to address the situation.
Clarett, 22, turned himself in Jan. 2 to face charges that accuse him of flashing a gun and robbing two people in an alley behind a bar.
Glory days
As a freshman, the Youngstown native scored the winning touchdown in the second overtime to lead Ohio State to the 2002 national championship, the school's first since 1968.
But that was the last game he played for Ohio State. He sat out the 2003 season after being charged with misdemeanor falsification on a police report. After dropping out of school, he sued to be included in the 2004 NFL draft and lost in court.
A surprise third-round pick in the 2005 draft, he was cut by the Denver Broncos during the preseason after rejecting a signing bonus.
He has been free on a recognizance bond since his indictment on Feb. 10. He is charged with two counts of aggravated robbery, four counts of robbery and one count of carrying a concealed weapon.