(27 Sep 2010) SHOTLIST
1. Wide of the First Municipal courthouse in Belgrade
2. Various of Miladin Kovacevic (centre) Serbian basketball player who pleaded guilty to assaulting an American student, in front of courthouse, talking to two unnamed people
3. Mid of Kovacevic talking to a woman
4. Close of Kovacevic
5. Mid of Kovacevic talking to man
6. Mid of Kovacevic talking to his lawyer Borivoje Borovic, walking into court building
7. Close up of sign in front of courthouse reading (Serbian Cyrillic) "The First Municipal Court in Belgrade"
8. Kovacevic waiting in front of the courtroom and talking to Borovic
9. Various of Kovacevic with Borovic
10. Kovacevic walking into courtroom
11. Kovacevic sitting down in court, people entering room
12. Wide of media outside courtroom
13. Kovacevic leaving courthouse
14. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Borivoje Borovic, Kovacevic's lawyer:
"A hearing was conducted today (in the First Municipal Court) and we have suggested to change our plea to guilty. The punishment has been set to two years and three months of incarceration. We have waived the right to appeal this decision. Kovacevic, when asked by the court, has said that he wilfully agreed to this arrangement."
15. Cutaway of cameraman
16. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Borivoje Borovic, Kovacevic's lawyer:
"When this decision, which will acknowledge the plea bargain, becomes fully legal, the court will make a ruling, based on the agreement. I estimate, in about 8 days, that this legal problem of Kovacevic and his family, will be solved, and also I hope that the problem for our country will be solved."
17. Mid of Serbian flag outside courthouse
STORYLINE
A Serb basketball player pleaded guilty on Monday over an assault case that put a fellow American student in a coma and has strained relations between the United States and Serbia.
The plea was part of deal between the defence and the prosecution under which Miladin Kovacevic, 23, could be sentenced to two years and three months for the beating of 24-year-old Bryan Steinhauer in May 2008 near Binghamton University in upstate New York.
The Obama administration and Steinhouer's family have said they were disappointed with the plea deal and that the proposed sentence was too lenient.
Kovacevic was accused of repeatedly kicking Steinhauer in the chest and head during the brawl.
The beating left Steinhauer with skull fractures and a severe brain injury.
The First Municipal Court in Belgrade said that it will mail its final ruling to Kovacevic.
Kovacevic's lawyer said he expects this to happen within eight days.
Steinhauer has the right to appeal the plea bargain.
A prosecutor said during Monday's hearing that the punishment for Kovacevic was in line with the sentences that US courts have handed to the other two participants in the brawl, Edin Dzubar, of Johnson City, and Sanel Softic, of Binghamton, both pleaded guilty to assault and were sentenced to two years in prison.
Kovacevic could have faced up to eight years in prison if he had gone on trial.
Kovacevic was first charged in the United States for assault but he jumped bail and fled to Serbia, which refused to hand him over to the US, citing local laws banning extradition.
The Serbian government eventually paid 900-thousand US dollars to Steinhauer's family as part of an agreement that also called for putting Kovacevic on trial in Belgrade.
During Monday's hearing, Kovacevic seemed relaxed as he told a judge that he was aware of the charges against him and has "wilfully" agreed to the plea deal.
The two diplomats are being tried separately in Belgrade for providing the fake documents.
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