Karen Sypher Claims She Could Not Get A Fair Trial In Rick Pitino's Extortion, That "The Story Has Not Come Out Yet". I Smell A FRUITLESS Appeal!

Karen Sypher: 'I couldn't get a fair trial here' on charges of extorting Rick Pitino
By Jason Riley

Karen Sypher said in an interview Friday that she didn’t receive a fair trial because Louisville is a small city and University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino is too well known and powerful.

“I knew that I couldn’t get a fair trial here to begin with, but I tried one more time to believe in the justice system,” Sypher said in a phone interview the day after a federal jury found her guilty Thursday on six counts of extorting money from Pitino, lying to the FBI and retaliating against Pitino for going to authorities.

“I know now there is no justice system. There is no justice,” Sypher said. “… This was a 1700s witch trial from the very moment I was raped.”

Sypher said she “absolutely” had wanted to testify during the eight-day trial but chose not to at the urging of her attorney, Jim Earhart, who did an “excellent” job. Many of her claims, she said, were introduced to jurors by the prosecution through interviews she had with television stations and police.

“I was literally on the stand via computer system for four to five hours,” she said.

Sypher said she nor Earhart were scared of her being cross-examined.

“I was his best witness,” she said.

Asked about Pitino’s testimony, Sypher said she would have no comment, but then blasted the coach and criticized the University for not firing him.

“If he can lay his head down at night and sleep well, then all I can say to him is that he only has one person to answer to and he knows who that is — that’s the good lord above,” Sypher said.

Sypher said she doesn’t regret her decision to reject several plea agreements offered to her before the trial that would have allowed her to admit guilt but avoid prison.

“That would mean I was guilty,” she said.

And she said she felt some relief from going to trial and having at least part of her story told.

“I can honestly say I’ve never felt so calm in my life, because I finally was allowed to speak after being duct-taped over my mouth for so many years,” she said. “So many people don’t realize, I still haven’t had the chance to grieve the murders of my two children, my babies.”

Sypher claimed that Pitino raped her at Porcini Restaurant in 2003 and then forced her to have an abortion.

She later began dating Tim Sypher, Pitino’s equipment manager, and had another abortion with him.

“That is the only thing I am guilty of that I have to answer to,” Sypher said.

During the trial, Pitino admitted he had consensual sex with Sypher in what he called an “unfortunate incident.”

Sypher said the witnesses put on by the prosecution, including Tim Sypher, lied to protect Pitino.

“I know every witness on that stand was programmed; they had two years to go over what they needed to say,” she said.

Sypher said she was “numb” and hasn’t thought yet about a potential prison sentence and claims that there is still more to come, including additional evidence that her attorney did not use in the trial. She wouldn’t say what the additional evidence was.

“The story has not come out yet,” she said.