US judge sets November trial date for Chauncey Billups, Damon Jones in poker case

A federal judge has set a November 2 trial date for Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups, former NBA guard Damon Jones, and nearly three dozen co-defendants in a federal poker-related case The date was scheduled during a status hearing on Wednesday at the United States Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, with Judge Ramon Reyes presiding

Due to the large number of defendants, federal prosecutors and defense attorneys will discuss how the case might be divided for trial Prosecutors also stated they expect to extend plea offers to 12 defendants in the coming days and are having "productive conversations" about potential guilty pleas with at least nine others

The court filing did not specify which defendants were engaged in plea discussions or whether Billups or Jones were among them The specific federal charges against the defendants were not detailed in the report