FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Former major league outfielder Mel Hall was sentenced to 45 years in prison
Wednesday after being convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl he coached on an elite basketball team.
Hall was convicted on three counts of aggravated sexual assault and two counts of indecency with a child.
Among his accusers during sentencing Wednesday were others who said he carried on inappropriate
relationships with them.
Hall, 48, looked skyward and swayed back and forth as the verdict was read. One of his two daughters who
testified on his behalf during the punishment phase sobbed.
Jurors reached the verdict on the punishment after about an hour of deliberating. They took about 90
minutes Tuesday to convict Hall. He must serve about 22½ years in prison before becoming eligible for
parole.
After the verdict was announced, prosecutor Kim D’Avignon read a brief statement on behalf of the
12-year-old victim and other accusers.
"We believe that the verdict does on some level show that the jury understood," D’Avignon said.
"They looked in these girls’ eyes and said this is worth 40 years, and we agree with them."

The defense had argued in the sentencing phase of the trial that Hall was a good man who mentored a lot
of athletes and had a lot of good still to do.
"For all the good this man has done in his life, it seems like this was an excessive verdict,"
defense attorney Brady Wyatt said after the verdict.
The prosecution’s final witness during the punishment phase testified that she was 14 when Hall touched
her inappropriately and told her he wanted to have sex with her. Late Tuesday, two women testified Hall
sexually assaulted them when they were underage.
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Former major league outfielder Mel Hall was sentenced to 45 years in prison
Wednesday after being convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl he coached on an elite basketball team.
Hall was convicted on three counts of aggravated sexual assault and two counts of indecency with a child.
Among his accusers during sentencing Wednesday were others who said he carried on inappropriate
relationships with them.
Hall, 48, looked skyward and swayed back and forth as the verdict was read. One of his two daughters who
testified on his behalf during the punishment phase sobbed.
Jurors reached the verdict on the punishment after about an hour of deliberating. They took about 90
minutes Tuesday to convict Hall. He must serve about 22½ years in prison before becoming eligible for
parole.
After the verdict was announced, prosecutor Kim D’Avignon read a brief statement on behalf of the
12-year-old victim and other accusers.
"We believe that the verdict does on some level show that the jury understood," D’Avignon said.
"They looked in these girls’ eyes and said this is worth 40 years, and we agree with them."

The defense had argued in the sentencing phase of the trial that Hall was a good man who mentored a lot
of athletes and had a lot of good still to do.
"For all the good this man has done in his life, it seems like this was an excessive verdict,"
defense attorney Brady Wyatt said after the verdict.
The prosecution’s final witness during the punishment phase testified that she was 14 when Hall touched
her inappropriately and told her he wanted to have sex with her. Late Tuesday, two women testified Hall
sexually assaulted them when they were underage.