Kane not out of legal penalty box yet

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - South Buffalo hockey superstar Patrick Kane is speaking out about a grand jury's decision to drop felony charges against him and his cousin. But his legal troubles linked to a run-in with a Buffalo cab driver are not behind him just yet.

Kane said, "This is, that's news to me to be honest with you, so I'll talk with my lawyer after this."

Chicago Blackhawks star and Buffalo native Patrick Kane was quoted right after a practice session on Wednesday. He hadn't yet heard the news that a grand jury dismissed the most serious charge against him - robbery. Although, he still has to go before a judge on Thursday.

"If the felony's dropped, it's obviously a positive step," Kane said.

Twenty-year-old Patrick Kane and his cousin, 21-year-old James Kane are still facing misdemeanor assault and theft charges for the incident on August 9th.

Buffalo cab driver Jan Radecki says both Kanes pushed him around when he told them he didn't have 20 cents change, "So he went berserk over his 20 cents and he started choking me," said Radecki when describing the incident.

Radecki says he picked the pair up on Chippewa Street and was taking them to the Canisius College area around 4:00 a.m.  "The one Kane is choking me, the other is punching me, 'don't you know who I am?'" continued Radecki.

News 4 legal analyst Terry Connors said, "Everyone here is so concerned that he's going to be treated differently. Well, that's a double-edged sword."

Connors says anything can happen before he heads to City Court, including a plea agreement, "It could easily be concluded on Thursday. The parties have had ample time to discuss it. It could be something that's satisfactory, that meets all the obligations of the prosecutor and the defense attorney."

The young hockey star says he just wants to put the incident behind him and move on.  Kane said, "The sooner it gets over, I think the more everyone will be happy about it."