Bloomberg

Plaxico Burress will testify today before a Manhattan grand jury that will decide if the former New York Giants wide receiver should be indicted on gun charges.

"My hope is that, by telling the truth and stressing the mitigating circumstances of this unique case, the grand jury that has the discretion not to indict will hopefully show more compassion than the district attorney has to date,'' Burress's attorney Benjamin Brafman said in an e-mail.

Burress, 31, was charged with two counts of possession of an unlicensed handgun after he accidentally shot himself in the leg at a New York nightclub on Nov. 28. His trial was delayed until Sept. 23 when District Attorney Robert Morgenthau decided to present the evidence to the grand jury.

"If the grand jury indicts, there are still many legal issues to resolve before a trial,'' Brafman said last month. "My best guess is that a trial will take place in spring 2010.''

Burress was released by the National Football League's Giants on April 3. He had signed a five-year, $35 million contract extension in September after leading the Giants with 70 catches for 1,025 yards during the 2007-08 season, when he played most games with an ankle injury.

Burress caught the winning touchdown pass in the final minute of the Giants' 17-14 victory over the New England Patriots in that season's Super Bowl.