Matt Araiza accused of rape, served with a lawsuit.

[dwight in philly]

Why not see how it plays out ? 

[The Wiz]

3 minutes ago, UKBillFan said:

 

Yes, I agree. I was responding to the post which said the civil case would have blindsided them. It wouldn't have done. I could have just phrased my response better.

Fair enough 👌 

[NeverOutNick]

5 minutes ago, aceman_16 said:

It happened in college...the NFL has no jurisdiction over this as per the NFLPA contract

Doesn't the commissioner get to decide regardless of if the offense happened in the NFL or before?

 

"The Exempt List is a special player status available to clubs only in unusual circumstances," NFL.com points out, citing the league's manual. "The List includes those players who have been declared by the Commissioner to be temporarily exempt from counting within the Active List limit. Only the Commissioner has the authority to place a player on the Exempt List; clubs have no such authority, and no exemption, regardless of circumstances, is automatic. 

[JakeFrommStateFarm]

Uh oh Ariza coming on ABC world news tonight.

 

Tune to it now !

[Returntoglory]

4 minutes ago, BuffaloRebound said:

They already have.  Guilty or not, he’s the sacrificial lamb for NFL’s Deshaun Watson fiasco.  He’s nothing right now but an entitled white boy punter who al·leg·ed·ly gang raped a minor.  

On a side note, I can’t believe the Bills put themselves in this position.  

There. 

 

Fixed it for you. 

 

You're welcome. 

[Orlando Tim]

16 minutes ago, haroldwaide said:

With him not playing tonight, the Bills have a few more days to investigate all options before final cuts are made.  My guess is not disclosing these potential charges to the Bills before the draft will be his ultimate undoing and he will be cut.  The Bills just need more time first, despite what their statement said.

I had not thought of the fact that the Bills could cut him for the fact that he did not reveal the lawsuit possibly coming, which could be argued is a major deal, whether he is innocent or guilty. If they can not do enough to "prove" his innocence in the next few days I bet they cut him and bring someone else in.

[YoloinOhio]

5 minutes ago, Bills2022 said:

 

The San Diego DA, Summer Stephan, was once the Chief of the Sex Crimes Division. She is bringing charges. Likely will never get a conviction, but she is going to get tremendous pressure from media.

That’s likely. Will Araiza be one of the players charged? There are several players involved. His lawyer is confident  it will not be him.

[The Wiz]

1 minute ago, Bills2022 said:

 

What? Who cares what his side of the story was. There was ZERO chance of this not eventually becoming a major distraction. And for what? A punter. Even if he did nothing, why would the super bowl favorite, a team that rarely punts, put itself in this position. Insanity.  

 

Let some 4-13 team with no media exposure take that risk. This is the Prime Time Bills.  We now live on the national stage. You need to act like that.

That's the problem right there.   I have no facts, you have no facts.   I'm not defending him in any way, shape or form but you are saying he should be in jail.   Not really in jail but you have already decided he's guilty is my point with nothing other that what her lawyer has said and in a very dishonest and distasteful way to make himself, not his client,  look better. 

[Ralonzo]

6 minutes ago, jkeerie said:

I agree.  They talked about the lightning delay and Araiza.  Nothing more.  On all the NFL shows etc throughout the day on ESPN and NFL network, they mentioned the allegations and moved on without comment.  As they should since there is no more known today than last night.  Let it play out in the legal system.  If the Bills take any action before then, it's there decision.

Yeah this. I means it’s going to be the lede and that’s fine. But that’s 2 minutes worth, the following 18 minutes of speculation and BS was just not what I was tuning in for.

[YoloinOhio]

4 minutes ago, JakeFrommStateFarm said:

Uh oh Ariza coming on ABC world news tonight.

 

Tune to it now !

I have to wash my hair 

[Chaos]

Just remember the Bills are the only team that does not even need a punter. This all 4D chess to cut hauck and araiza , and add another running back to the roster

 

[Orlando Tim]

40 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

Do you honestly see this occuring over the "next couple of days"?  Even if the DA files charges, they are not going to reveal their evidence in the next couple of days.

If they can confirm or not confirm the phone call that would go a long way to determining if this is a money grab. The worst part for Araiza, if he is innocent, is that all these accusations are now  public and almost any response will be reactive. If Araiza is innocent he should push the DA to release the phone call, if it happened. But in a few days you are correct, not much will likely come out 

[RiotAct]

7 minutes ago, JakeFrommStateFarm said:

Uh oh Ariza coming on ABC world news tonight.

 

Tune to it now !

ABC World News Tonight…

 

 

WITH DAVID MUIR!!!

[Orlando Tim]

His being on all these news shows is not a good look to me. I have stated we should not rush to judgement but it seems desperate to me. I think Bills will probably cut him simply for not telling them before they drafted him unless he can convince them of his innocence.

[gobills404]

52 minutes ago, BullBuchanan said:

Why?

You really don’t know why it’s not professional for a lawyer to be commenting “nice picture” under pictures of naked women? Please tell me you’re trolling.

[BuffaloRebound]

4 minutes ago, Returntoglory said:

There. 

 

Fixed it for you. 

 

You're welcome. 

Araiza has already been convicted in court of public opinion.  He’s toxic to the NFL until the criminal and civil cases are resolved.  Cleveland destroyed whatever goodwill NFL still had left on Watson.  No NFL team will touch a punter accused of these things.  Look at how fast this story took off.  

[KDIGGZ]

From the girls own journal, she met Matt Araiza at a party, was flirting with him, proceeded to have sex with him, doesn't remember what happened but ended up in a room where players were passing her around. Didn't see who they were, doesn't know if Araiza was even there.

 

I'm astonished that her lawyer put that evidence out there. If anything he just introduced doubt. Someone took advantage of that poor girl but in her own words she doesn't know who. In terms of the case against Araiza I don't see how he could be proven guilty. Was he negligent in some way by luring her into a room or telling people she is easy or something? Those details are yet to be determined

[Believer]

3 hours ago, billsfan3482 said:

They dont need to "speak up" because some entilted fans think they do. 

Yes they do… This a complete distraction to the team… so they need to explain their rationale for keeping Ariaza… and what they will do if the situation bleeds into the season… You don’t have to agree with me… Great place, America… We are free to disagree… 

[Chaos]

Just now, Buffalo Timmy said:

His being on all these news shows is not a good look to me. I have stated we should not rush to judgement but it seems desperate to me. I think Bills will probably cut him simply for not telling them before they drafted him unless he can convince them of his innocence.

what was he going to tell them "someone is going to file a lawsuit against me in several months".  How would he know. Especialy if the allegations are false. 

[The Wiz]

Just now, Buffalo Timmy said:

His being on all these news shows is not a good look to me. I have stated we should not rush to judgement but it seems desperate to me. I think Bills will probably cut him simply for not telling them before they drafted him unless he can convince them of his innocence.

They cut Haack after he had already talked with them about this. 

 

Have a hard time thinking that the coaching staff and management would double down if they didn't think he was being truthful. 

[Billsatlastin2018]

When you move to a major News story, from a backgrounder Sports story, you are COOKED!

 

And of course, if this story was known PRE DRAFT, Araiza would NEVER have been drafted by the Bills!

 

Or any other NFL team, not named the Cleveland Clowns! 

[Believer]

Good decision to sit Ariaza… Sorry I can’t watch the game here in Sarasota…

[BillsFanSD]

1 minute ago, Buffalo Timmy said:

If they can confirm or not confirm the phone call that would go a long way to determining if this is a money grab. The worst part for Araiza, if he is innocent, is that all these accusations are now  public and almost any response will be reactive. If Araiza is innocent he should push the DA to release the phone call, if it happened. But in a few days you are correct, not much will likely come out 

I don't see the phone call as meaning anything.  The phone call is completely consistent with the story that he had consensual sex with Jane Doe.  That's fine.  

 

I really want to know if Araiza a) drugged her drink and/or b) delivered her to people who he knew were going to rape her.  Those are huge, massive deals that warrant prison time.  Just having consensual sex isn't, even if the girl was 17 and even if Araiza had an STD.

[Simon]

3 minutes ago, Believer said:

This a complete distraction to the team

 

I keep reading this, but I'm not buying it.

Do we think Diggs is going to misread a coverage because he's distracted?

Is Milano going to forget a primary key because he's thinking about the legal system?

These boys are dialed in and the second they step on a field, everything else goes away.

The only people distracted are us.

 

[Solomon Grundy]

2 minutes ago, The Wiz said:

They cut Haack after he had already talked with them about this. 

 

Have a hard time thinking that the coaching staff and management would double down if they didn't think he was being truthful. 

Was he connected to a lie detector 😎

[The Wiz]

1 minute ago, Solomon Grundy said:

Was he connected to a lie detector 😎

I'm assuming Beane was there.  Beane is a wizard so.... close enough I think?

[Delusional Bills Optimist]

35 minutes ago, UKBillFan said:

I wonder what the alleged victim's attorney fascination with Araiza is? There are two others who have been named in the gang rape, who I think have had civil charges brought against them too but not a sound. I can think of three possibilities:

 

1) The attorney is playing off Araiza being a rising 'star' in the NFL for attention

2) He thinks that the DA may not press criminal charges against Araiza, so wants to court public opinion for the civil case, whereas it's looking more likely that the other two will be charged

3) He dislikes Araiza's attorney and that is driving him as much as the case is. The other two defendants have different attorney's

 

Perhaps it's a bit of all three.

 

As a lawyer who prosecutes civil/administrative sex abuse cases against minors (and thus is privy to the frequent companion criminal cases), my thoughts are as follows:

 

1. Of the alleged perpetrators, he is obviously the candidate with the deepest pockets (or at least the highest potential earning capacity at present).  The entity with the deepest pockets in the situation would be the state university. The university no doubt carries a significant insurance policy. It is noteworthy to me that it is not more of a focus, especially if there are allegations that they slow-walked or obfuscated the investigation.  Leads me to believe there must be a big impediment to pursuing a case against it. 
 

2. I infer that there aren’t going to be charges forthcoming against MA, which is interesting because so-called statutory rape is practically a strict liability crime, and the proffering of an affirmative defense doesn’t usually dissuade a prosecutor from levying charges. The accuser’s/victim’s attorney would be in the loop regarding the charging decision, and the likely decision not to charge resulted in the filing of the civil suit. In a case like this, a prosecutor is not going to want to expose their complainant to adverse examination in a civil arena, either at trial or in depositions. You don’t want your witness pinned down under oath in advance of your trial, especially given the much higher criminal burden of proof.

 

3. If the accuser’s attorney was practicing in WNY, he’d be a pariah within the legal community immediately. You don’t ever publicly disclose settlement discussions. They are inadmissible in court for a reason. The ONLY reason you would do that would’ve to prejudice a lay audience, to whom the desire to settle a case usually implies guilt or liability.  Also, the specificity of the allegations are noteworthy to me. Usually, in civil matters, you plead broadly, as it gives you the most leeway when it comes down to proving up your case.  In my experience, when I am drafting an accusatory instrument, if I lather up the allegations more than necessary to provide the defendant with notice of the claims, it’s usually because I am intending to force a resolution short of a trial.  To me, in a contest where money damages are the relief sought, that tells me that the instrument is designed to bring a swift settlement. Just my opinion.

 

Situation is not a good look for the Bills, but there’s only so much the team can do. Hiring an investigator was a solid move. The accuser is not going to be allowed to talk with the team. You gather the information you can and act prudently. There is a lot here that is concerning to me and most of it is driven by the lack of criminal charges and the…unusual…tactics of the woman’s lawyer.
 

If anyone has a copy of the pleadings, I’d love to take a look. Enjoy the game everyone, as best you can with this day’s developments. 

[HappyDays]

5 minutes ago, KDIGGZ said:

From the girls own journal, she met Matt Araiza at a party, was flirting with him, proceeded to have sex with him, doesn't remember what happened but ended up in a room where players were passing her around. Didn't see who they were, doesn't know if Araiza was even there.

 

She also says in that journal that she told people at the party she was a college student. That directly contradicts what is stated in the lawsuit. Releasing images of that journal entry is a really bizarre strategy.

[Dirtbag]

keeping this guy is pure hubris. 

[Simon]

I'm going to lock this thing up for a little while so y'all can let it go and focus on the game for a bit.

[YoloinOhio]

 

[QCity]

2 hours ago, Delusional Bills Optimist said:

 

As a lawyer who prosecutes civil/administrative sex abuse cases against minors (and thus is privy to the frequent companion criminal cases), my thoughts are as follows:

 

1. Of the alleged perpetrators, he is obviously the candidate with the deepest pockets (or at least the highest potential earning capacity at present).  The entity with the deepest pockets in the situation would be the state university. The university no doubt carries a significant insurance policy. It is noteworthy to me that it is not more of a focus, especially if there are allegations that they slow-walked or obfuscated the investigation.  Leads me to believe there must be a big impediment to pursuing a case against it. 
 

2. I infer that there aren’t going to be charges forthcoming against MA, which is interesting because so-called statutory rape is practically a strict liability crime, and the proffering of an affirmative defense doesn’t usually dissuade a prosecutor from levying charges. The accuser’s/victim’s attorney would be in the loop regarding the charging decision, and the likely decision not to charge resulted in the filing of the civil suit. In a case like this, a prosecutor is not going to want to expose their complainant to adverse examination in a civil arena, either at trial or in depositions. You don’t want your witness pinned down under oath in advance of your trial, especially given the much higher criminal burden of proof.

 

3. If the accuser’s attorney was practicing in WNY, he’d be a pariah within the legal community immediately. You don’t ever publicly disclose settlement discussions. They are inadmissible in court for a reason. The ONLY reason you would do that would’ve to prejudice a lay audience, to whom the desire to settle a case usually implies guilt or liability.  Also, the specificity of the allegations are noteworthy to me. Usually, in civil matters, you plead broadly, as it gives you the most leeway when it comes down to proving up your case.  In my experience, when I am drafting an accusatory instrument, if I lather up the allegations more than necessary to provide the defendant with notice of the claims, it’s usually because I am intending to force a resolution short of a trial.  To me, in a contest where money damages are the relief sought, that tells me that the instrument is designed to bring a swift settlement. Just my opinion.

 

Situation is not a good look for the Bills, but there’s only so much the team can do. Hiring an investigator was a solid move. The accuser is not going to be allowed to talk with the team. You gather the information you can and act prudently. There is a lot here that is concerning to me and most of it is driven by the lack of criminal charges and the…unusual…tactics of the woman’s lawyer.
 

If anyone has a copy of the pleadings, I’d love to take a look. Enjoy the game everyone, as best you can with this day’s developments. 

 

Now this is a great post.

[Aussie Joe]

4 minutes ago, QCity said:

 

Now this is a great post.

The best post in this thread by far..

[Beck Water]

2 hours ago, HappyDays said:

 

She also says in that journal that she told people at the party she was a college student. That directly contradicts what is stated in the lawsuit. Releasing images of that journal entry is a really bizarre strategy.

 

Huh?  She wrote that she told him attended "name" which is name of both a HS and a college

 

11 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

 

 

How is he gonna achieve that "quickly" part?

Edited August 27, 2022 by Beck Water

[Solomon Grundy]

Why Simon, why??😭

Somebody open a cut prediction thread quick, please

[KDIGGZ]

7 minutes ago, Aussie Joe said:

The best post in this thread by far..

What, a bunch of guys whose only knowledge of the legal system is divorce lawyers and traffic court spewing nonsense for 172 pages over the past day and a half wasn't doing it for you?

[Aurelius]

3 hours ago, Buffalo Timmy said:

If they can confirm or not confirm the phone call that would go a long way to determining if this is a money grab. The worst part for Araiza, if he is innocent, is that all these accusations are now  public and almost any response will be reactive. If Araiza is innocent he should push the DA to release the phone call, if it happened. But in a few days you are correct, not much will likely come out 

I would assume that a phone call where he was tricked into answering questions by detectives on the other line with the accuser, in a civil case, would be nowhere near admissible

even if it did happen.   I’d venture to guess that could even be illegal without the right channels having been followed entering a questioning session by the potential accused.   In no way should judgement be handed down based merely on accusations though.  Lives are ruined that way.  Let it play out. 

Edited August 27, 2022 by Aurelius

[El Guapo]

1 minute ago, KDIGGZ said:

What, a bunch of guys whose only knowledge of the legal system is divorce lawyers and traffic court spewing nonsense for 172 pages over the past day and a half wasn't doing it for you?

I am neither, but I do know some damn fine divorce lawyers that nobody wants to go against (including me).

[Rc2catch]

2 minutes ago, KDIGGZ said:

What, a bunch of guys whose only knowledge of the legal system is divorce lawyers and traffic court spewing nonsense for 172 pages over the past day and a half wasn't doing it for you?

Listen, I spent almost 6 minutes on Google… I think I can pass the California bar exam now. I’m qualified don’t worry 

[BillsShredder83]

9 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

Huh?  She wrote that she told him attended "name" which is name of both a HS and a college

 

 

How is he gonna achieve that "quickly" part?

assuming this is a written prepared statement.... which means that verbiage was very intentional. i certainly hope so!