Wife Of Kings' Voynov May Face Contempt Ruling If She Opts Not To Testify

TORRANCE (CBSLA.com) — The wife of Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov could be held in contempt of court if she refuses to testify in the pending domestic violence case against the hockey player, a Superior Court judge ruled Monday.

In his ruling, Judge Eric Taylor also said he would be willing to allow Marta Varlamova to undergo domestic-violence counseling before she takes the stand.

Taylor instructed attorneys last month to file legal briefs on whether Varlamova will have to testify in Voynov's trial in Torrance.

Her attorney told the judge in April that Varlamova did not want to testify in the case against Voynov, who is accused of punching his wife at a Halloween party and later kicking and choking her at their Redondo Beach home last October.

In a court filing, attorney Michael J. Walsh wrote that his client has concerns about privacy and any trauma she might suffer from testifying against Voynov, including potential immigration consequences.

Prosecutors later clarified in a separate filing that the District Attorney's Office is not asking the court to jail Voynov's wife for her refusal to testify.

In response to the judge's comments, Walsh met privately with Varlamova and later announced that she was willing to undergo the counseling, which would be provided by the National Hockey League Players' Association. It wasn't immediately clear when that counseling might occur.

The 24-year-old Voynov pleaded not guilty Dec. 1 to one count of felony domestic violence after he was arrested Oct. 20. He was later suspended indefinitely from the NHL.

The Kings organization was fined $100,000 Dec. 2 for allowing Voynov to skate with the team. He faces nine years in state prison if convicted.

(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)