Court proceedings are underway in the ongoing litigation between Deshaun Watson and the dozens of plaintiffs taking him before a judge. But by the looks of things, Watson landed a pretty significant victory today.
According to ProFootballTalk, a Texas judge has ruled that one of the plaintiffs must use their legal name to proceed with the case. At least one has been using a pseudonym.
Texas law does not allow pseudonyms to be used in litigations unless certain exceptions are met. Those exceptions were reportedly not met despite the plaintiff’s best arguments.
“The speed with which the ruling was issued suggests that (Watson’s attorney Rusty) Hardin’s simple, straightforward argument under the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure reflects an accurate interpretation of the notion that, for adults who file lawsuits, they must use their names so that the defendant has fair notice of the claims being made and the person who is making them.”
Plaintiff attorney Tony Buzbee opposed the motion, saying that the plaintiffs would be opening themselves up to safety risks. He noted that one such plaintiff has already received at least 10 death threats.
More hearings today on similar matters from other accusers are expected later today.
Tony Buzbee’s argument: after Ashley Solis went public, she has received at least ten death threats, the Judge must balance the interests of the accusers and the public, and he clearly set forth the times and dates of the alleged incidents in the lawsuits
— Mike Meltser (@MikeMeltser) April 9, 2021
ProFootballTalk pointed out that this ruling could be even more significant down the road. The unnamed plaintiffs could very well drop the charges or at least ask for a settlement in order to avoid the public backlash.
There’s still a long way to go before there’s a complete resolution to this case.
The post Judge Makes New Ruling In Case Against Texans QB Deshaun Watson appeared first on The Spun.
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