Dorsey noted in her 42-page judgment that dismissing a lawsuit altogether with no ability to re-file it is a harsh punishment, but that Stovall’s actions had injured international soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.
“I find that the procurement and continued use of these documents were done in bad faith,” the ruling stated. “Simply disqualifying Stovall will not alleviate Ronaldo’s prejudice because the misappropriated documents and their confidential contents have been woven into the very fabric of (plaintiff Kathryn) Mayorga’s claims.” “Severe sanctions are justified.”
Stovall did not reply to phone and email inquiries left for him on Saturday. Larissa Drohobyczer, an associate, did not respond to text messages. They have the option of appealing the ruling to the 9th United States Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.
Ronaldo’s lawyer in Las Vegas, Peter Christiansen, was on the road and could not be reached for comment.
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About Rape Lawsuit Case Dismiss
The Associated Press does not usually name persons who claim to have been sexual assault victims, but Mayorga granted her permission for her identity to be made public through Stovall and Drohobyczer.
Stovall missed a procedural deadline in his lawsuit seeking more than $25 million in damages, alleging that Ronaldo or his allies broke a 2010 confidentiality agreement by enabling reports about it to surface in European newspapers in 2017.
US judge dismisses Cristiano Ronaldo rape lawsuit in Las Vegas https://t.co/vdMGxxGvhZ
— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) June 11, 2022
Stovall failed to fulfill a procedural deadline in his attempt for more than $25 million in damages based on accusations that Ronaldo or his accomplices broke a 2010 confidentiality agreement, and Dorsey indicated early this year that she was ready to drop the case.
Mayorga’s legal case alleged that Ronaldo or his accomplices violated the confidentiality agreement before the German news source Der Spiegel published a story titled “Cristiano Ronaldo’s Secret,” which was based on information obtained from “whistleblower portal Football Leaks.”
The claims were blamed on electronic data dumps of papers obtained from law firms and other businesses in Europe and placed up for sale, according to Ronaldo’s legal team. Christiansen also claimed that information had been tampered with or created.
A US judge has dismissed a rape lawsuit against Cristiano Ronaldo
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 11, 2022
The lawsuit sought a further payout after Ronaldo had already paid a woman $375,000 in hush money following her claim he raped her in Las Vegas in 2009
Since the lawsuit first surfaced in 2018, Christiansen and Las Vegas attorney Kendelee Works have successfully sought to keep the contract hidden.
Mayorga is a former model and instructor who currently resides in Las Vegas. According to her lawsuit, she met Ronaldo at a nightclub and went to his hotel suite with him and other individuals, where she claims he raped her in a bedroom. She was 25 years old at the time. He was 24 years old at the time.
Ronaldo’s legal team does not deny that Ronaldo met Mayorga in June 2009 and that they had sex, but that it was voluntary and not rape.
Mayorga reported the assault to Las Vegas police at the time, but the investigation was discontinued because Mayorga did not name her claimed assailant or say where the crime occurred, according to police and prosecutors.
BREAKING: A US judge has dismissed the Las Vegas rape lawsuit against football star Cristiano Ronaldo https://t.co/ZHSDCwdy9J
— Sky News (@SkyNews) June 11, 2022
Ronaldo, at 37, is one of the most well-known and well-paid athletes in the world. He now plays for Manchester United in the English Premier League and has led Portugal’s national squad. He spent the last several years of his career playing for Juventus, a Turin-based team.
After Mayorga’s lawsuit was filed, Las Vegas police reopened their rape investigation, but Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson chose not to pursue criminal charges in 2019.
