The lawyer for Deshaun Watson’s accusers of sexual assault must identify the name of a woman who made claims against the NFL star, a judge in Texas ruled Friday morning.
Judge Dedra Davi’s ruling came a day after Watson’s attorney Rusty Hardin filed a special release in which he had to ask a judge to unmask ‘Jane Doe’ against the Texas quarterback. Davis ruled that the woman should reaffirm the case and identify herself.
Only two of the women in the 22 lawsuits against Watson have been publicly identified.
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Hardin announced he had filed the motion Thursday and slammed prosecutor Tony Buzbee in the process.
“We’ve said it before and we want to say it again: Deshaun did not force, coerce or intimidate anyone into doing anything against their will. When we asked Mr Buzbee to identify his clients weeks ago, he refused and “We were told to submit a file, a motion,” Hardin said.
“Today we have filed the motion. As discussed in our submission, the use of anonymous lawsuits by Mr. Buzbee is contrary to Texas law and the basic concept of justice. It is clear that, for Mr. Buzbee, it never was. about seeking justice in a court case, but destroying Deshaun’s reputation for improving his own public profile and enriching himself.Although I understand that anonymity is often used as a shield for victims, Mr Buzbee uses it as a sword. While protecting his clients from public scrutiny, Mr Buzbee continued to use their anonymous allegations to destroy Mr Watson. That is simply not right. And we look forward to resolving these matters in court. . “
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In the motion, obtained by Fox News, Watson’s attorney argues that Texas law does not allow accusers to “file civil claims with a pseudonym, nor should it be in this case.”
Hardin said in the motion that Buzbee was trying to “try this case in the court of public opinion rather than in court”.
Watson is facing 22 lawsuits over sexual misconduct. Two women were unmasked this week. Ashley Solis spoke at a news conference about Watson’s alleged actions. Another lawyer read out a letter from Lauren Baxley.
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According to ESPN, a similar hearing on 12 other cases will take place in the 113th District Court on Friday. The verdict of Friday morning was made in the 270th district court.