Cory Batey’s lead attorney, Courtney Teasley, sat down with NewsChannel 5 in an exclusive interview about the retrial of Brandon Vandenburg in the Vanderbilt rape case.
The next Vanderbilt rape trial was set to begin June 13 the Birch building. Many have questioned whether or not Batey will testify against Vandenburg, but his attorney said that won’t happen.
“We're not going to help the prosecution,” said Teasley.
She said she didn’t see a scenario where her client would point the finger at his former teammate on the Vanderbilt football team.
A jury convicted Batey in April of raping an unconscious female on campus. Vandenburg faces the same charge in trial next month.
Newschannel5 legal analyst Nick Leonardo believed Batey could be called to testify against him.
“He's one of the players who could make Vandenburg the ringleader,” said Leonardo.
There was no indication yet that the D.A. wants or needs Batey at trial, but if she does Teasley said she wouldn’t advise it.
“I definitely don't think that would be a recommendation from me for him to testify,” Teasley said.
She doubted testifying would help Batey at his sentencing in July, and could hurt him on appeal, and besides she said there's nothing he could say.
“His story hasn't change. He doesn't remember anything from when he went into an alcoholic blackout,” Teasley said.
Beyond that, Teasley was upset Metro police recently charged Batey with failing to register as a sex offender after his conviction. She said he only wanted to talk with his attorney first, but that charge has since been dropped.
“They disregarded his right to council, and so we will be following up with complaints against those officers,” said Teasley.
She said the only focus for her client, Corey Batey, was to focus on the appeal of his conviction.
