Palmdale Man, 18, Sentenced to Year in Jail for Role in Assault

A Littlerock High School football star was sentenced to one year in jail for assault, but authorities dropped a more serious murder charge Friday.

Rodney Woods, 18, of Palmdale, was also given five years probation. He has served 155 days in a juvenile facility, and could be freed from custody within two months with credit for good behavior, said his attorney, James E. Blatt.

Woods is a former running back who holds a full football scholarship to Cal State Fresno. He pleaded no contest in December to a charge of assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury in an attack May 19 on 22-year-old Kevin Walker at a party in Littlerock.

That attack took place shortly after another assault at the party on 18-year-old Christopher O’Leary, of Littlerock, who died three days later of head injuries. Charges against Woods in O’Leary’s death were dropped, but two other football players--Richard Newton and Marcus Raines, also 17-year-old seniors from Palmdale at the time of the attacks--continue to face charges related to the death of O’Leary.

“The Woods family and I feel fortunate that murder charges were dropped,” Blatt said. “We conducted a very intensive investigation and gave our findings to prosecutors showing that Mr. Woods did not strike and did not kick Mr. O’Leary.”

Blatt said he is uncertain whether the football scholarship awarded to Woods last year remains open, “but we are hopeful. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Antelope Valley Superior Court Judge Carol Koppel imposed the sentence, granting Woods credit for time served.

O’Leary had gone to a Palmdale party to pick up his girlfriend, a cheerleader, when he became involved in a dispute with several football players. According to Deputy Dist. Atty. John Portillo, Newton punched O’Leary in the jaw, knocking him to the ground, then Raines allegedly kicked O’Leary in the head.

Raines in September pleaded not guilty, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled Thursday in Antelope Valley Superior Court. The charges against Raines carry a possible penalty of life in prison. Raines was named an All-Golden League linebacker and was ranked second statewide in high hurdles in track.

In a deal with the district attorney’s office, Newton in December pleaded no contest to felony charges of involuntary manslaughter in the death of O’Leary and assault on Walker. A former star quarterback, Newton faces up to four years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled Feb. 2 in Antelope Valley Superior Court. The murder charge is expected to be dismissed at that time.