RAMAPO, NY from www.lohud.com — Lawrence Taylor’s court appearance has been cancelled for Thursday as prosecutors plan to ask a grand jury to decide whether the former football great should stand trial on charges that he paid an underage girl for sex.

Taylor is charged with third-degree rape, accused of having sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old runaway brought to his Ramapo hotel room by an accused pimp from the Bronx.

Taylor also is charged with third-degree patronizing a prostitute following his arrest by Ramapo police on May 6 at the Holiday Inn off Airmont Road in Montebello.

Prosecutors and Taylor’s lawyers agreed to the adjournment until June 24 because the case was not going to be resolved in court on Thursday.

Negotiations on a plea agreement have not been fruitful. The rape count carries a maximum prison term of four years, as well as being added to the state sex offender registry. The patronizing a prostitute charge carries a penalty of a year in jail.

Taylor’s lawyer, Kenneth Gribetz, said today there was no reason for his client to fly to New York from his home in Florida.

“If nothing was going to be accomplished, why get involved with another spectacle,” Gribetz said, referring to the dozens of reporters and cameras that surrounded Taylor at his arraignment. His arrest made national news and became the top topic on sports talk radio,

Gribetz said Taylor maintains his innocence to the charges and was looking forward to being exonerated in court. Gribetz and his law partner, Deborah Loewenberg, represent Taylor with New York City attorney Arthur Aidala.

In a federal complaint against alleged pimp Rasheed Davis, an FBI agent contends Taylor told the Ramapo police that he paid $300 to have sex with a girl who told him she was 19 but turned out to be 16.

The girl also told police Davis beat her up and brought her to the hotel room against her will.

Taylor, who has a history of drug abuse and run-ins with the law, cooperated with the Ramapo police after his arrest. Police found a bottle of alcohol but no drugs in the room.

Taylor, who once lived in Bergen County, has long played golf in Ramapo and supposedly was in town on business. He bought drugs in Rockland during his years as an addict.

District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said today that a grand jury will soon hear evidence in the case. Zugibe said he expects the grand jury presentation could lead make the June 24 hearing unnecessary.

“We’re still waiting for certain laboratory results,” Zugibe said.