Michael Irvin files countersuit against accuser

[tico]

That sucks I hope they don't fire him from NFL Network

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

If he was guilty, it would have made more sense to settle with her before all this came out. I'm glad he's fighting it. It just doesn't sound right to me.

 

[tyke1doe]

If Irvin is innocent, then a countersuit is the way to go. I don't know why more guys don't do this if they're in fact innocent.

Because they don't have deep pockets. You have to have money to countersue because you're basically defending yourself twice.

I'm sorry, but the lapse of time between the incident and the story leaves me skeptical. This isn't a family friend or a relative where the length of time would be more understandable.

And why would you look for payment if a man raped you? Wouldn't you be looking to get him off the streets?

I hope Irvin beats this, if he's innocent. But his reputation has already taken a hit, and I doubt it can be restored even if he's found not guilty.

 

[ilovejerry]

Well he's not quiet anymore.


Irvin accused of rape, files countersuit


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ESPN.com news services

Michael Irvin, accused of rape in a civil suit filed Thursday in Broward Circuit Court, has filed a $100 million countersuit.
The suit, filed in Dallas County, Texas, asks for $100 million due to the allegations filed in a lawsuit that claim Irvin, the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver and Pro Football Hall of Fame member, raped a woman identified as "Jane Doe" at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., in 2007.

Irvin

No criminal charges have been filed. The Broward State Attorney's Office has been investigating the case and a spokesman told the Miami Herald he expects a conclusion next week. The Herald first reported the story late Thursday.

Irvin, currently in South Florida for the Super Bowl, had hosted a talk show on ESPN Radio 103.3 in Dallas and works as a television analyst for the NFL Network. He no longer works for ESPN Radio 103.3, but a spokesman said Friday he will be on the air this weekend for the NFL Network.

"His contract was up and the show has not performed," ESPN said in a statement released Friday. "We had previously decided to cancel the show and determined this morning to make it effective today. The permanent replacement begins at 11 a.m. CT [Friday] -- Ben Rogers and Jeff "Skin" Wade ["Ben and Skin"]."

Irvin's lawsuit claims that the civil suit filed by the woman caused him to be fired from his radio job. "This is nothing more than a thinly veiled effort to carry out Plaintiff's extortion plot while capitalizing on the media circus that is Super Bowl weekend," Irvin's lawsuit said.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, speaking at a Super Bowl news conference Friday, said he was not aware of the assault allegation. The NFL Network is a part of the football league.

"We'll obviously take it seriously, make sure we understand the facts and then take the appropriate steps," Goodell said.

Irvin's lawyer, Lawrence J. Friedman, called the rape accusations "totally untrue," according to the Herald. Friedman, asked by the paper to describe the woman's contact with Irvin, said: "Beyond, perhaps, meeting her, there was nothing."

Friedman's firm filed the lawsuit on Friday afternoon. A copy of the suit was sent via e-mail to ESPNDallas.com.

According to the woman's suit, she claims the attack happened late on July 4 or early on July 5, 2007. The suit claims Irvin bought the woman alcohol and took her to his hotel room, where Irvin raped her and another man forced her to perform oral sex. The other man is unidentified because, according to the woman's lawyer, David Lister, she doesn't know who he is.

The suit claims Irvin's brother, Derrick Irvin, "assisted in covering the sexual assault and rape up," according to the lawsuit.

Seminole police were informed of the alleged incident on July 20, 2007, Seminole Tribe spokesman Gary Bitner told the Herald.

"They investigated it thoroughly," Bitner said. "Although by that time there was no longer any forensic evidence or surveillance video."

The paper said the woman signed a "waiver of prosecution," in what Bitner descibed as "her desire to essentially put it behind her and not have it be splashed all over the newspapers."

Both attorneys said settlement talks had taken place, but broke down. Friedman told the Herald the woman first asked for $1 million, then $800,000. Lister told the Herald that Irvin's lawyers asked for a settlement figure.

"This complaint is tantamount to criminal extortion," Friedman told the Herald. "There is no merit to the complaint."

Lister said the woman had passed a polygraph test and told the Herald: "There were discussions back and forth between the parties. Nothing came of it."

Irvin's countersuit claims that interference with current prospective business relations, civil conspiracy and defamation and slander, along with civil extortion and duress, among its five counts. It asks for a jury trial.

Irvin has been in the headlines several times during his career with the Cowboys and in retirement.

Irvin pleaded no contest to a cocaine charge in 1996. The same year, he and Cowboys teammate Erik Williams were accused of assaulting a Dallas-area dancer. The allegation turned out to be false and the woman paid a fine and spent three months in jail.

Irvin was arrested on drug possession charges in August 2000. He and a woman were charged, but the case was dropped after the district attorney determined that a police officer conducted an improper search.

In 2005, Irvin was pulled over for speeding in Plano, Texas and, after a search, police said they found a marijuana pipe and plastic bags with marijuana residue. Irvin was arrested on an outstanding warrant for an unpaid speeding ticket in Irving, Texas, and also was charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Two days later, Irvin stated on ESPN's "Sunday Night Countdown" that he had taken the pipe away from a longtime friend who was battling drug addiction and that he had forgotten to throw it out and had left it in his car.

And in January 2009, Irvin claimed he was the victim of a carjacking attempt, but that the two men who drove up alongside his car and flashed a gun drove away when they recognized who Irvin was. Dallas police suspended the investigation 17 days later, stating they couldn't proceed without more information and that Irvin had not cooperated with police.

He also competed on "Dancing with The Stars" in 2009. He was voted off the reality show as it was trimmed to its final five contestants.

He was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007. He played 12 seasons in the NFL, all with the Cowboys, catching 750 passes for 11,904 yards and 65 touchdowns. He won three Super Bowls in his career and was selected to the Pro Bowl five times.

He played collegiately at the University of Miami.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

all of a sudden after 2 years she comes out from under a rock and on superbowl weekend..

cpme on .....mike should not be allowed out by himself anymore he should know by now that there are pit vipers out there looking to take a bite out of him ... Come on man!

 

[CATCH17]

I respect Goodell for saying he will react when he gets all the facts.

I feel like Espn has told everyone a lie that this would be his last week.

No way in hell would they let Irvin go because of bad ratings only to be replaced by Ben and Skin. We're not that dumb Espn.

 

[fan62]

Isn't the Hall of Fame vote today? If I were a writer (and not a Cowboy homer) this news might affect my vote for Emmitt Smith today, I might want to wait a year or two and let this settle down.
If I were not Cowboys savvy, who's to say that the other man in the room might have been Emmitt! LOL
At least it would give a Cowboy hating writer an excuse not to put Smith in on his first ballot.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Isn't the Hall of Fame vote today? If I were a writer (and not a Cowboy homer) this news might affect my vote for Emmitt Smith today, I might want to wait a year or two and let this settle down.
If I were not Cowboys savvy, who's to say that the other man in the room might have been Emmitt! LOL
At least it would give a Cowboy hating writer an excuse not to put Smith in on his first ballot.

More than likely it might affect Haley's chances of getting in. No way does this hurt Emmitt.

 

[links18]

More than likely it might affect Haley's chances of getting in. No way does this hurt Emmitt.

Its ridiculous to think whatever happened to Irvin is going to affect any other Cowboys current or former. BTW, the chances these allegations are true seem slim.

 

[Big Dakota]

Because it costs money to file a lawsuit and the woman probably doesn't have any assets to satisfy a judgment.

Ya, but if she ever plans on holding a job the rest of here life a guy with money and lawyers like Mike can hound her for the rest of her life, see the Goldmans and Simpson. It may be 200 bucks a month out of a Walmart paycheck but if you're living on a couple grand a month try handing over 10% or more. Then again she may make 50 grand a year, in which case Mike could really cause her pains.

 

[Big Dakota]

Isn't the Hall of Fame vote today? If I were a writer (and not a Cowboy homer) this news might affect my vote for Emmitt Smith today, I might want to wait a year or two and let this settle down.
If I were not Cowboys savvy, who's to say that the other man in the room might have been Emmitt! LOL
At least it would give a Cowboy hating writer an excuse not to put Smith in on his first ballot.

Oh for ****s sake

 

[tyke1doe]

Isn't the Hall of Fame vote today? If I were a writer (and not a Cowboy homer) this news might affect my vote for Emmitt Smith today, I might want to wait a year or two and let this settle down.
If I were not Cowboys savvy, who's to say that the other man in the room might have been Emmitt! LOL
At least it would give a Cowboy hating writer an excuse not to put Smith in on his first ballot.

Why would Irvin's situation affect Haley?

Haley didn't make it because he was a jerk and uncooth. He'll make it in the future, but the voters (even though they don't) consider off-field conduct and how bubble players treat the media.

It's impossible to be impartial, especially when you're not an overwhelming shoo-in.

 

[links18]

Ya, but if she ever plans on holding a job the rest of here life a guy with money and lawyers like Mike can hound her for the rest of her life, see the Goldmans and Simpson. It may be 200 bucks a month out of a Walmart paycheck but if you're living on a couple grand a month try handing over 10% or more. Then again she may make 50 grand a year, in which case Mike could really cause her pains.

I all likliehood, she will just file bankruptcy and bye bye potential judgment.

 

[RCowboyFan]

I all likliehood, she will just file bankruptcy and bye bye potential judgment.

Why would Irvin care for her Money anyway? Btw, its not just about Irvin here, its about discouraging any money grubbing types on filing frivilous and damaging law suites. The whole point is, if there is any iota of truth to that, Women will try to fight. Since Irvin could be in a Double Whammy, with both lawsuits.

If it is frevilous as I fully believe it to be, she will be a valid lesson to potential false claims like her. Same with Ben Rothelisberger, don't remember if he counter suited, but he should have done that. But in his case seems like there was some kind of relationship between her and Ben, obviously no force happened there though.

Irvin's case, the whole circumstances of her accusations seems like a bad movie or bad day time Drama episode.

 

[Venger]

its about discouraging any money grubbing types on filing frivilous and damaging law suites.

Ignoring the awful grammar, have we established this person is a "money grubbing type"? This reflexive need to demonize people who find themselves entwined with Cowboys players in potentially criminal circumstances is not healthy.

Frankly, the fact that there were EVER talks between attorneys representing the parties is a very disturbing fact. You don't hold talks with people accusing you of rape if you had nothing to do with them. Doesn't mean he raped her, but it strongly indicates contact that goes beyond what was appropriate for Irvin.

 

[RCowboyFan]

Ignoring the awful grammar, have we established this person is a "money grubbing type"? This reflexive need to demonize people who find themselves entwined with Cowboys players in potentially criminal circumstances is not healthy.

Frankly, the fact that there were EVER talks between attorneys representing the parties is a very disturbing fact. You don't hold talks with people accusing you of rape if you had nothing to do with them. Doesn't mean he raped her, but it strongly indicates contact that goes beyond what was appropriate for Irvin.

Oh, the crutch of a great debater on internet. Beyond that, its not even worth debating with you anything.

 

[Venger]

Oh, the crutch of a great debater on internet. Beyond that, its not even worth debating with you anything.

Your surrender is accepted.

 

[RCowboyFan]

Your surrender is accepted.

Just as a I thought, very bright individual I see

 

[ZB9]

Frankly, the fact that there were EVER talks between attorneys representing the parties is a very disturbing fact. You don't hold talks with people accusing you of rape if you had nothing to do with them. Doesn't mean he raped her, but it strongly indicates contact that goes beyond what was appropriate for Irvin.

the accuser's attorney said there were "talks"

"talks" could consist of calling Irvin's people and saying "we are suing you", who knows, but you can imagine why it would benefit an extortion to say "there were talks"

 

[Venger]

the accuser's attorney said there were "talks"

"talks" could consist of calling Irvin's people and saying "we are suing you", who knows, but you can imagine why it would benefit an extortion to say "there were talks"

This is a very easy claim to dismiss if it is not true - there are meticulous records of such interactions, why would it be claimed if it could be easily disproved? If Irvin's camp has claimed they never participated in discussions, I have not read it. There is no reason for the plaintiff attorney to claim settlement talks were held if they never were held, why open yourself to being undercut if it's false on it's face? Now more information on this topic may be forthcoming, but you don't have talks with someone you aren't interested in hearing from.

"We're suing you" is not settlement talks, and the characterization leads on to believe they were more than a cold call. Still, this is a small part of the case, but one that, if as presented, can illuminate motives and disposition of the parties...

 

[ZB9]

This is a very easy claim to dismiss if it is not true - there are meticulous records of such interactions, why would it be claimed if it could be easily disproved? If Irvin's camp has claimed they never participated in discussions, I have not read it. There is no reason for the plaintiff attorney to claim settlement talks were held if they never were held, why open yourself to being undercut if it's false on it's face? Now more information on this topic may be forthcoming, but you don't have talks with someone you aren't interested in hearing from.

"We're suing you" is not settlement talks, and the characterization leads on to believe they were more than a cold call. Still, this is a small part of the case, but one that, if as presented, can illuminate motives and disposition of the parties...

well im sure there would be information gathering going on by Irvin's attorneys but you have no idea if there were settlement talks....and of course there was no settlement

the accuser's attorney telling an ESPN reporter that "there were talks" doesnt necessarily mean too much