Kendrick Perkins’ attorney says his client is innocent

We told you Thursday Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins faces a misdemeanor assault charge — including punching a woman in the face — from outside a Houston area night club in July.

Perkins attorney spoke with the Oklahoman and professed his client’s innocence.

“Kendrick Perkins did nothing wrong, and I am confident that he will be exonerated,” said Matt Hennessy of DeGuerin, Dickson, Hennessy & Ward. “my client takes these charges very seriously. He is a respectful and kind person and is anxious to address these charges for the sake of his family and his team. We will defend these allegations vigorously in court.”

As somebody who spent time as a crime reporter, let me say so far this follows form. The police investigate, the prosecutor decides on charges and then the defense attorney says, “my client is innocent.” As things wind toward trial we see what evidence there is, what holes there are in the case, and people talk plea bargains. This case could still go any number of directions (confrontations outside nightclubs are tricky to prosecute because some people are in altered states and remember things differently), but like a chess match the first handful of moves are pretty much scripted.

If convicted Perkins could face up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine, although we all know it won’t come to that (nobody does max for misdemeanors).