Derrick Rose is due in Los Angeles court on October 4 for a civil sexual battery lawsuit where the plaintiff, Jane Doe, has accused Rose and two friends of a 2013 gang rape. Doe is seeking over $21 million.
Rose and his camp have denied the allegations and Doe and her lawyers have argued that her name should be kept private. Rose’s team, however, wants her name to be made public and have cited interviews and a news teleconference Doe did as reason for her real name to be revealed.
Yesterday, US District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald declared that he will not close his courtroom to the media in order to keep Doe’s identity anonymous.
More from The Associated Press:
Lawyers for the woman, who is identified in court documents as Jane Doe, argued that her privacy should be protected because she is vulnerable and she has already been harassed after her name was leaked.
U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald said Tuesday that the law was very clear on the issue and he wouldn’t close his courtroom to protect her identity. He said any decision by the news media about whether to name her is a journalistic decision.
The 30-year-old college student told the AP that her family knew nothing about her involvement with Rose or the lawsuit seeking $21.5 million and she wanted to keep it that way and avoid the spotlight.
But Rose’s lawyer wanted her name made public and cited interviews and a news teleconference she conducted as Jane Doe last week as a reason to use her real name.
Doe says she wants to keep her name private to keep the spotlight off her family, who she says knows nothing about her relationship with Rose.
The 30-year-old college student told the AP that her family knew nothing about her involvement with Rose or the lawsuit seeking $21.5 million and she wanted to keep it that way and avoid the spotlight.
But Rose’s lawyer wanted her name made public and cited interviews and a news teleconference she conducted as Jane Doe last week as a reason to use her real name.
The upcoming civil trial could interfere with the Knicks’ training camp and preseason. For a full primer on the upcoming civil case, including quotes from Rose’s deposition, head to The White Bronco.
