A sheriff’s deputy attempted to serve Deion Sanders with court papers related to his son Shilo’s bankruptcy trial during Colorado’s open practice on Aug. 11.
The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office deputy visited the University of Colorado Boulder campus last week. According to sheriff’s department spokesperson Carrie Haverfield, Coach Prime was “unavailable at the time to receive receipt of the papers.”
Haverfield added that Colorado’s staff “were cooperative and assisted the deputy” in finding a more suitable time to complete the process.
“While coordinating with university staff to identify a time for service, our office was contacted by Mr. Sanders’ legal counsel, who indicated they were able to accept the documents on his behalf,” Haverfield wrote in an email to the Daily Camera. “Because his counsel was located outside Boulder County, we transferred the paperwork to the appropriate jurisdiction (Denver) for service.”
According to a pretrial meeting in the case on August 14, Deion Sanders will be summoned to appear as a witness at his son Shilo’s bankruptcy trial the same week that the Colorado Buffaloes begin their season versus Georgia Tech on September 3.
“I noticed Deion was subpoenaed,” the judge said during the meeting, according to USA Today, adding that he wouldn’t be shocked if Deion Sanders attempted to contest the subpoena to testify at the trial, citing the clash with Colorado’s season opening game.
“I’m also concerned there’s a game: CU’s first game is that same week,” the judge added. “So I can see that coming. I am not a CU alum or I have no ties to CU. So I don’t care. But I’m just recognizing that is a potential issue.”
Why would the court call Deion Sanders as a witness?
At the age of 15, Shilo Sanders attacked John Darjean, a security guard at Sanders’ Dallas school, leaving Darjean permanently injured.
Darjean sued Shilo Sanders in 2016, and although he claimed to have acted in self-defense, Sanders failed to appear in court when the matter went to trial in 2022. Consequently, Shilo Sanders owes Darjean $11.89 million after Darjean won the case by default judgment.
In October 2023, Sanders filed for bankruptcy to avoid paying Darjean. In response, Darjean sued Sanders to stop the bankruptcy court from absolving him of that obligation, alleging that Sanders is wrongfully concealing assets from his various name, image, and likeness (NIL) arrangements by using multiple limited liability organizations.
USA Today reports that Deion Sanders was allegedly on the phone with Darjean shortly before the incident that day. Therefore, the judge said that conversation “may be relevant.”