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The Patriots and the NFL were unaware that Antonio Brown would be sued for sexual violence and rape prior to his signing with New England. But Brown certainly did it.
Ian Rapoport of the NFL reports that Brown and his accuser, Britney Taylor, "have engaged in settlement negotiations for months" before the complaint is filed.
It is not a surprise. Most civil suits are preceded by an effort to resolve them before the start of the court process.
In a case like this, which includes inflammatory allegations of a shocking nature against a high-level athlete, a potential settlement has a greater monetary value before the case is over. because the defendant buys not only a resolution of the claims, but a guarantee will never be known (as did the former owner of the Panthers, Jerry Richardson, before one or more of the people who had settled their claims against him violated the confidentiality agreements for which they had received fair and appropriate compensation). For an NFL player subject to the league's personal conduct policy, which controls that player's privacy, even when the police never intervene, it is even more important to prevent the knowledge of the allegations from being never revealed. It is even more helpful to ensure that the accuser has promised never to tell anyone, including the NFL, especially when the NFL has the power to suspend Brown or, if the allegation of rape is true to banish him for life.
The claims made by counsel for the accuser during settlement negotiations are not known; the clumsy statement published by Brown's lawyer immediately after filing the lawsuit indicated $ 1.6 million as the asking price. If this is the first game, it could very well have been negotiated at half or less. If that's the goal, Brown might want to pay for it.
While it may seem trivial to consider the allegations of sexual assault and rape in this way, Brown's accuser chose to make these allegations exclusively through a process that would make a judgment by the transfer of money. The fact that the settlement talks took place "for months" prior to the filing of the complaint underscores the reality that she decided to exercise her absolute right to seek justice through through the search for financial compensation.
That said, once the lawsuit is filed, the value of the case drops because much of this value comes from the fact that it has never been started. However, if Brown's lawyers had to reach an agreement before Britney Taylor's meeting with the NFL on Monday, they would do more than help him avoid an unfavorable verdict in court. They could help him avoid paid holidays and ultimately a suspension.
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