Pitino exchanges heated words with Sypher's attorney during cross-examination

Louisville, Ky. (WHAS11) - Rick Pitino spent another two hours on the stand Thursday but this time it was Karen Sypher's attorney asking the questions.
 

Pitino and attorney James Earhart exchanged some heated words during the cross examination.
 

U of L Coach Rick Pitino entered through the front door of the U.S. district courthouse even though the judge had given him permission to come and go through the back door.
 

Pitino had his head held high as he prepared for what would become a 2-and-a-half hour sparring match from the stand.
 

It was defense attorney Jim Earhart's turn to cross examine Pitino- the man he says raped his client Karen Sypher twice nearly 7-years-ago.
 

Earhart started out asking coach Pitino how much coaching he had received from prosecutors prior to his testimony and whether U of L sports information director Kenny Klein, who has attended every day of the trial, had been giving him tips.
 

"My job is to tell the truth. It's the U.S. government's job to prove Ms. Sypher's guilt. They indicted her," said Pitino.
 

Earhart began questioning Pitino repeatedly about a taped meeting he had with Sypher and why he never denied raping her.
 

Pitino said he never addressed it because it was a false accusation made by an unknown blackmailer.
 

"I don't think you understand. You keep asking me the same thing over and over. I'm not arguing with you. I'm just giving you the truth and nothing but the truth,” said Pitino.
 

Earhart replied, "I bet you are."
 

Pitino then said, "If I was raped I would say it on the tape. The reason I wasn't accused of rape is because it didn't happen."
 

Earhart also asked a number of questions about the sexual encounter Pitino had with Karen Sypher at Porcini's restaurant in July of 2003.

He focused on Pitino's testimony that Sypher started the encounter by rubbing his leg.

Earhart asked, "You being married, did you tell her that was inappropriate?"
Pitino replied, “I did not.”

Earhart then asked "You were planning on having sex with Karen?"
 

To which Pitino replied, "No I wasn't."
 

Earhart then said, "Instead of going home with your wife?"
 

Pitino replied, "No sir I wasn't."

When talking about the encounter itself,
 

Earhart asked, “You protested?"
 

Pitino said, "No I did not."
 

Earhart said, "Then you engaged in sexual intercourse with Karen Sypher?"
 

To which Pitino said, "I did."
 

Earhart also grilled Pitino about an alleged meeting Sypher and her then attorney Dana Kolter had with Pitino's attorney and business manager.
 

Earhart said Sypher was offered a $500,000 settlement, including an $85,000 payment to Kolter.
 

Pitino said he was not aware of any such proposed settlement.
 

When asked why he didn't immediately go to police about the alleged extortion, Pitino testified,
 

"I was trying to contain it. I was trying to keep it quiet. I love my family very much and didn't want to hurt them."
 

Pitino also testified today that the hardest part of the entire ordeal was the affect it had on his wife and family.
 

Pitino said that it cost his son Richard his assistant coaching job at U of L.
 

Pitino said after the incident he advised Richard that he should seek another coaching job in Florida because of all of the publicity.
 

Pitino testified his experience coaching with his son:
 

"The best two years of coaching I've had in 35 years was the last two years. When I had to suggest to him to move on to another job because of this, that was the worst."
Pitino's attorney Steve Pence talked about his client's testimony after he stepped down from the stand.

“I'm very proud of Coach Pitino and how he's taken responsibility for this and how he's handled it in general. There'll probably be more to say when the matter is over, but right now, it's still with the United States. It's in the hands of the jury and we're not gonna have any comment further than that.”