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Jeff Garcia's Playmate acquitted of assault

Woman was accused of karate-kicking QB's ex-girlfriend

DeCesareAP
Reigning Playboy magazine Playmate of the Year Carmella DeCesare, 22, listens to testimony in the courtroom Tuesday.

CLEVELAND - A Playboy Playmate accused of karate-kicking the ex-girlfriend of NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia was acquitted Wednesday of a misdemeanor assault charge.

But Carmella DeCesare, who is dating the Cleveland Browns player, was convicted of violating a protection order and placed on probation for one year.

Judge Anita Laster Mays also ordered DeCesare to pay a $150 fine and serve 24 hours of community service.

According to testimony, Garcia dated Kristen Hine, 32, four or five times but later dropped her for DeCesare, 22.

The Playmate of the Year testified Wednesday that Garcia cheated on her with Hine. Nasty phone calls and threatening voice mails followed and culminated in a confrontation Aug. 21 at the Tramp nightclub.

Name-calling ensued, and a friend of Hine’s dumped a drink on DeCesare. Each woman had to be restrained. Hine accused DeCesare of grabbing a dance pole and kicking her in the head.

DeCesare told the judge that she was dancing on a table when one of Hine’s friends started “coming at me full-force, swinging like a guy.”

She said she kicked the woman in self-defense but denied kicking Hine.

Garcia testified that DeCesare was defending herself. “It’s embarrassing that I am here today, to be caught up in a situation like this,” he said.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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