The sexual assault lawsuit against Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has been postponed ahead of a trial scheduled for this month.
The lawsuit, first filed in September 2020, then dismissed and reopened, was filed by a South Carolina woman who alleged that Jones was arrested in the Tom Landry Room at AT&T Stadium after a Cowboys game. “He kissed her on the mouth and forcibly grabbed her without her consent,” the lawsuit alleges. September 16, 2018.
A jury trial was scheduled for March 18, but a Dallas County District Court judge postponed the case Wednesday morning. A new date has not yet been decided.
Meanwhile, Judge Ayesha Redmond ruled that Jones should be dismissed. The scope and timing of the deposition have not been determined. Plaintiffs' lawyers have said they want to meet with Jones soon, but the defense has argued that other depositions, including those involving the plaintiffs, may be completed first.
“Mr. Jones' testimony will be that he doesn't remember this woman at all. He doesn't remember the photo he was shown (the photo of him posing with the plaintiff) and he doesn't remember the photo he was shown, the one in which he posed with the plaintiff, and the media, his family, his children… “He clearly and vehemently denies that he grabbed her and groped her in front of her,” defense lawyer Levi McCassan said.
In an earlier affidavit filed in the case, Jones said that if removed from office, he would testify that he had no recollection of meeting the woman. He denied sexually assaulting her and called the allegations “completely false.”
Redmond ordered attorneys to hold a “meaningful conference” to consider multiple items in the case before another hearing is set. The deadline for interviews with lawyers is March 20th.
The defense had previously requested that the trial be postponed until March 2025 to allow additional time for discovery, which typically involves gathering information and pre-trial preparation.
Plaintiffs' attorneys argued that the defense had ample time to complete its work. The defense countered that there were multiple periods during which the case could not be worked on because it had been dismissed.
“We're not looking at a case where the defense has done its best in discovery. We need more time,” said Sarah C. Leary, the plaintiff's attorney. She said, “What we're looking at are cases where the defense spent a significant amount of time and did not conduct discovery.''
Mr Macassan said that did not happen.
“I've learned more about the plaintiff's case in the last seven days and two weeks than I have in the last five and a half years, because they're finally learning a lot about what actually happened on the ground. Mr McCassan said:
The defense pointed out that the plaintiff's attorney presented multiple witnesses who swore in affidavits that nothing happened during the alleged sexual assault.
Macassan called the claim “impossible” because there were many people in the room at the time of the incident, including members of the Cowboys and reporters.
He also said the list of potential witnesses proposed by the plaintiffs' lawyers includes “personnel” on the team, including quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott, to draw attention. .
“They know it's going to be covered in the media, so there has to be some discovery to make things right,” he says.
Leary agreed that Tom Landry's room was crowded at the time of the incident, and that the plaintiff's attorney asked the defense to provide a list of those who were in the room to narrow down the list of potential witnesses. Stated. She said she received no such list.
As for when a new trial date should be set, McCassan said Wednesday that if Jones, coaches and players participate in a trial, ideally it would be during the offseason because of their busy schedules.
Plaintiff attorney Thomas Bowers reiterated: news He said his client is ready for his time in court.
Mr. Jones also faces two other lawsuits.
Alexandra Davis, 27, sued Jones in March 2022, claiming that Jones was her father. According to court documents, Jones and Davis' mother reached a settlement in which Jones agreed to support Alexandra Davis financially as long as he did not reveal publicly that he was Alexandra Davis' father. It is said that he did.
As recently as last week, a judge ruled twice that Jones must undergo paternity testing in the case.
In a second legal battle, Davis sued Jones for defamation in U.S. District Court. The case was partially dismissed in October and refiled in November.
At a hearing in federal court in Texarkana in February, defense attorneys asked the judge to dismiss the second case. As of Wednesday, no verdict had been handed down.
Staff writer Jamie Landers contributed to this report.
