Mike Florio ,
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A five-year old sexual assault lawsuit against Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is heading to trial. The trial, however, won’t happen for another nine months.
Via Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News , a judge denied on Thursday a motion for summary judgment filed by Jones. It keeps the case on track for a jury trial.
The plaintiff claims that Jones sexually assaulted her in 2018, during a private event at AT&T Stadium after a Cowboys game. The case was filed in 2020, dismissed in 2022, and reinstated on appeal.
The trial date has been delayed on multiple occasions.
A motion for summary judgment arises from the basic argument that there is no need for a jury to sift through the facts of the case and make a decision as to what did, or didn’t, happen. In a situation like this, where witness credibility will be critical, it’s very difficult to persuade a judge to not allow a jury to hear and see all evidence before deliberating toward a verdict.
The fact that the judge conducted a hearing on Thursday and issued a ruling the same day underscores the basic reality that, in this case, the conflicting positions (the plaintiff claims Jones did it, and he denies it) should be sorted out by a jury.
The case could settle at any time. Often, the denial of a motion for summary judgment becomes the spark for moving the lawsuit toward a resolution.
Trial is currently set for July 20, 2026.
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