Charles Barkley, known for his crowd-pleasing antics on the basketball court, stayed on the sideline during testimony at his trial on charges of battery and disorderly conduct.

"I'm glad I didn't have to testify," Barkley said Tuesday when the defense rested after calling only one witness.Closing arguments and jury instruction were scheduled for today in Milwaukee Circuit Court.

Judge John Franke denied a motion to dismiss the charges after the only day of testimony. But he acknowledged - with the jury out of the courtroom - that the state's case had not been a strong one.

Defense attorney Thomas Halloran decided against calling Barkley, the Philadelphia 76ers' six-time All-Star, to the stand. He didn't feel he needed to.

Barkley has claimed that he punched James R. McCarthy of Milwaukee in self defense when McCarthy approached him on a street outside a bar with clenched fists. He said McCarthy had been making insulting comments to him and a woman with whom he was was walking.

Assistant District Attorney Michael Steinhafel said in his opening statement that it wasn't a matter of whether McCarthy deserved to be punched but whether Barkley had the right to do it. McCarthy suffered a broken nose and lacerated forehead.

But two of the six witnesses called by Steinhafel said McCarthy, a powerlifter who weighs 245 pounds, was the aggressor during the early morning dispute last Dec. 22.

If convicted, Barkley faces up to nine months in jail and a $10,000 fine on the battery charge and up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine on the disorderly conduct charge.

He plans to be in San Diego this weekend where the U.S. Olympic basketball team, of which he is a member, will report for practice.

The only witness called by the defense, David Rice, a bouncer from a nearby bar, helped break up the dispute.

Rice said that just before the dispute he was getting in his car to go home when he observed Barkley and Lee Anne Wooten walking through a parking lot. Not far behind, he said, was McCarthy. Then came McCarthy's two friends, Tony Mehrtens and Robert Trednic.

Rice said he knew Trednic and asked if they were going after Barkley to get an autograph.

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"No, this guy (referring to McCarthy) wants to fight him," Rice quoted Trednic as saying. "He more or less chased him down," Rice said. Trednic denied making the statement.

Wooten testified that a man began yelling at her and Barkley after they had left the bar on the way to a party at the home of Milwaukee Bucks forward Larry Krystkowiak. She said the man's first remarks were directed at her, were racial and dealt with sexual intercourse with Barkley.

McCarthy denied he made any remarks toward the woman. He said Barkley just punched him after he yelled, "I hear you're the baddest ass in the NBA."

Earlier, McCarthy admitted under cross examination that the conviction of Barkley would help his case in a civil suit against the basketball player.

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