4 NFL Players Accused with Drugging, then Raping Woman; Lawsuit Filed Today in Nevada District Court.News Editors LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 20, 2001 A civil lawsuit filed this morning in Clark County, Nevada Clark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. It is the most populous county in Nevada (2006 population estimate 1,912,654), and contains the city of Las Vegas. District Court accuses four NFL NFL abbr. National Football League NFL (US) n abbr (= National Football League) → Fußball-Nationalliga Players of drugging, then raping, a woman in Las Vegas Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. on May 6th, 2000. The NFL players named in the complaint are Dedric Ward Dedric Lamar Ward (born September 29, 1974 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa) is the American football offensive quality control coach for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. , Charlie Batch Charles D'Donte Batch (born December 5, 1974 in Homestead, Pennsylvania) is an American football quarterback who plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Eastern Michigan. , Ron Rice and Tyree Tolton. The woman, identified as Lisa Harden in the complaint, traveled from her home near Seattle to Las Vegas to attend a wedding. She, along with acquaintances attending the wedding, stayed at a well-known, upscale Las Vegas Hotel (the site of the wedding). After the wedding, several of the wedding guests met in one of the hotel's bar. According to the complaint, three of the defendants, (Ward, Tolton and Batch), invited the plaintiff to join them at their table at about 8 PM and after chatting for several minutes, the three men insisted that she have a drink with them. The complaint states that after drinking the beverage, Ms. Harden suffered a partial memory loss - consistent with the effects of "date rape date rape n. forcible sexual intercourse by a male acquaintance of a woman, during a voluntary social engagement in which the woman did not intend to submit to the sexual advances and resisted the acts by verbal refusals, denials or pleas to stop, and/or physical " drugs - though she has been able to recall horrifying fragments of the ordeal that was to follow. The complaint states the plaintiff was taken to Ward's Las Vegas apartment, where three of the defendants (Ward, Batch and Tolton) repeatedly raped her. The victim then recalls being taken back to a hotel room with Batch, Tolton and Rice (who was called to the room by Batch). According to the complaint that at about 2AM, Ms. Harden was allowed to leave where she made her way back to her own room where she slept. She returned to Seattle on the 7th. The next day - with the assistance of emergency room staff - she reported the rape to authorities. Attorney Rebecca Roe, Seattle, explains that "the victim was too groggy grog·gy adj. grog·gi·er, grog·gi·est Unsteady and dazed; shaky. [From grog.] grog and confused to ask for help in Las Vegas." Roe states that, "She was stunned and traumatized by what had happened, and wanted to get home to family and friends, who encouraged her to seek medical attention and make a police report." According to Attorney John Lukens, "My client was attacked violently and relentlessly for many hours. The drugs left her incapacitated in·ca·pac·i·tate tr.v. in·ca·pac·i·tat·ed, in·ca·pac·i·tat·ing, in·ca·pac·i·tates 1. To deprive of strength or ability; disable. 2. To make legally ineligible; disqualify. and vulnerable. As she pleaded for her safety, they continued to accost her. They must be held accountable for their violent actions." Questions about the lawsuit and the victim should be directed to Attorneys Rebecca Roe and John Lukens (both former prosecutors), or to India Simmons, PR Ink, at 425/742-6926. |
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