Plaxico Burress prepares for court date

 New York Giants star Plaxico Burress is returning to court Tuesday in his gun possession case amid ruminations of a plea deal and uncertainty over whether he will serve jail time.

Burress, who accidentally shot himself in the thigh at a Manhattan nightclub in November, has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the second-degree, a felony that requires a minimum jail sentence of 3½ years and a maximum of 15 if convicted.

Burress’ lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, told ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio on Monday that a plea deal has not been reached and he expects to ask the Manhattan criminal court judge on Tuesday for more time.

“We will ask for an adjournment and a new hearing date to be set,” Brafman said. Burress is scheduled for trial in the state Supreme Court before Judge Michael Yavinksy, although the judge presiding over the case could change.

Two independence sources with knowledge of the negotiations between Burress and the Manhattan district attorney told Paolantonio that Burress knows any lengthy trial on felony weapons charges would only delay his possible reinstatement to the NFL.

The district attorney’s office has told Brafman that any plea deal would have to include jail time, the sources said. A sentence of longer than five months would make it difficult for Burress to return for the 2009 season.

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