There has been another development in the sexual assault case against Garth Brooks.
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Why Is Garth Brooks Being Sued?
As you may know, a complaint was filed in California against the "Friends In Low Places" singer. It accused him of sexual assault on several occasions. The plaintiff is a former hairdresser identified in the suit as Jane Roe.
The actual sexual assault case has been pending for over a year and a half. Roe has fought to protect her identity in court while identifying Brooks as the defendant.
Brooks first attempted to block Roe's suit several days before she filed it. It denied her allegations and accused her of a "shakedown." The filing protected both his identity and Roe's. But after Roe filed the suit and named Brooks in the complaint, the singer amended his complaint and revealed Roe's identity.
Last September, Judge Henry Wingate denied Roe's motion, or formal request, to proceed under a pseudonym. He also denied her request for court-ordered penalties, stating that she had already been identified.
Roe then filed an appeal. Brooks asked the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to expedite it, and last month, the court panel denied Brooks' motion.
What Is the Latest Development?
As reported by Whiskey Riff, when Roe's team filed the brief and exhibits for the upcoming appeal, they failed to redact some information that identified Roe. In a motion filed by Roe's attorneys, they requested an opportunity to correct their mistake.
Brooks' attorneys noticed the error. In their own brief, the legal team argued that Roe's failure to protect her identity should be grounds for the court to deny her appeal to remain anonymous.
"The Record Excerpts have remained publicly available on this Court's docket for more than a month, and Ms. Roe has taken no steps to seal or redact them.
"Even if inadvertent, Mr. Doe respectfully submits that this manifest anonymity waiver—in an appeal over anonymity and in violation of the sealing order Ms. Roe alone requested—is itself grounds to reject Ms. Roe's appeal."
The mistake could inadvertently expedite the case, helping Brooks move things along. Considering that potential witnesses' memories can fade, and a key witness, publicist Nancy Seltzer, has died, it may help his case if Roe's appeal is ultimately denied.
