Big Ben accused of sexual assault

[apple strudel]

Re: OT: Big Ben Accused of Sexual Assault

Supposedly her lawyer represented the Governor's wife in their divorce. So this isn't some ambulance chaser. He's likely a big gun in Nevada. I'm sure he has spent a year compiling evidence to support his case. And once this gets some light, perhaps the DA will ask to review it so they can consider charges as well. It could still happen.

J D Sal

Yeah, but evidence like that doesn't give you beyond a reasonable doubt. The best you're looking at is probably a plea to something irrelevant. Of course, IANAL, and don't know the details of the case, but I wouldn't want to try and win a sexual assault case against a superstar with that kind of evidence.

It also speaks to how hard it is to prosecute sexual assault, no matter how real the crime.

 

[Tunescribe]

Re: OT: Big Ben Accused of Sexual Assault

Supposedly her lawyer represented the Governor's wife in their divorce. So this isn't some ambulance chaser. He's likely a big gun in Nevada. I'm sure he has spent a year compiling evidence to support his case. And once this gets some light, perhaps the DA will ask to review it so they can consider charges as well. It could still happen.

J D Sal

I don't know what specific criminal evidence is needed for an indictment, but it seems DNA would be key to "proving" what occurred in the hotel room. They don't have that. This thing will be settled out of court and forgotten soon thereafter.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Re: OT: Big Ben Accused of Sexual Assault

That being said, no one knows if there's merit to this accusation - I do know that I couldn't imagine Tom Brady or Peyton Manning credibly being accused of something like this..

Joe..Google Jamie Ann Naughright....you may want to rethink your previous statement after...

 

[jv320i]

Re: OT: Big Ben Accused of Sexual Assault

why is this story on every sports related website EXCEPT ESPN?

 

[LearningToFly]

Re: OT: Big Ben Accused of Sexual Assault

This woman is crazy.

TMZ.com is reporting she was under psychiatric care for a relationship she had with a fictitious American soldier over the internet around the time she hooked up with Big Ben. Certainly destroys a lot of her credibility IMO. Check this out:

Bizarre Twist in Roethlisberger Assault Case
Posted Jul 21st 2009 10:24AM by TMZ Staff

Sources connected to the Ben Roethlisberger sexual assault case claim the psychiatric care the accuser says she's under has nothing to do with Ben .... it has to do with a relationship she had with a man who never existed.

Andrea McNulty has sued Roethlisberger, the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl champ, claiming he sexually assaulted her in July 2008. Sources tell us Roethlisberger and McNulty had a sexual liaison at the time but Ben insists it was purely consensual. We're told the two knew each other because Ben had stayed at Harrah's in Lake Tahoe over the last several years for golf tournaments -- and she worked at the hotel.

Sources connected with the case tell us a former co-worker of McNulty's at Harrah's came forward with this incredible story -- that around the time McNulty hooked up with Roethlisberger, she was allegedly involved with a married man. The man's wife, we're told, created an email account, posing as a U.S. soldier in Iraq. The wife began corresponding with McNulty to gain information. We're told the former co-worker has said McNulty fell in love with the fictitious soldier and began telling people she was engaged to him. When the wife stopped the correspondence, McNulty then began telling people the soldier was killed in action.

We're told McNulty told at least one co-worker she began seeing a psychiatrist because of the phantom soldier.

We tried repeatedly getting in touch with McNulty. So far we have been unable to reach her.

 

[apple strudel]

Re: OT: Big Ben Accused of Sexual Assault

This woman is crazy.

This is a matter of course in these cases. It may not have any bearing on the legitimacy of her claim.

Indeed, it's a standard part of the playbook for anyone who is sued in civil court. The plaintiff almost always is attacked, and a female plaintiff claiming sexual misconduct invites a healthy dose of what became known as the "nuts and sluts" defense whenever someone directed allegations of sexual misbehavior at a certain former President who eventually had no choice but to admit his deeds, as to at least one former partner.

Questions arise regarding McNulty's psychiatric care | ProFootballTalk.com

 

[LearningToFly]

Re: OT: Big Ben Accused of Sexual Assault

This is a matter of course in these cases. It may not have any bearing on the legitimacy of her claim.



Questions arise regarding McNulty's psychiatric care | ProFootballTalk.com

Well her being under psychiatric care for a made up relationship with a fictitious American soldier over the internet seems pretty damn specific and not just some random "nuts and sluts" slur campaign. If true it kills a lot of her credibility, which she didn't have much to begin with.

 

[JDSal45]

Re: OT: Big Ben Accused of Sexual Assault

Yeah, but evidence like that doesn't give you beyond a reasonable doubt. The best you're looking at is probably a plea to something irrelevant. Of course, IANAL, and don't know the details of the case, but I wouldn't want to try and win a sexual assault case against a superstar with that kind of evidence.

It also speaks to how hard it is to prosecute sexual assault, no matter how real the crime.

He isn't criminally charged. He is sued in a civil matter only (so far at least). The standard in a civil suit is "preponderance of the evidence"....meaning a jury is satisified at least 50.1% (more likely than not) an event occurred. It doesn't need to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt (and even when its not....it doesn't mean it didn't happen).

If he were charged criminally, you'd be surprised when juries find beyond a reasonable doubt and when they don't. It doesn't require a smoking gun as often as you think. In fact the standard Judge instruction to a jury includes this story "evidence can be direct or indirect. For example, lets say you wanted to know whether the mailman had been to your house. At noontime....caught on your home's security videotape is the mailman depositing your mail in your mailbox. That is direct evidence he had been there. On the other hand, lets say you check your mailbox at 11AM and there is no mail. You come home at 3PM and the mail is in your mailbox. That is indirect evidence he had been there. Nobody saw him and your tape machine was off. Indirect evidence is perfectly acceptable to prove something beyond a reasonable doubt." Further.....if a whole link of indirect evidence proves small facts supporting a case.....juries are told they can use common sense or what they believe and don't believe. So, even if there is no proof of the underlying question directly or indirectly.....a whole series of indirect proof on only supporting issues can prove the crime itself....even if individually each one of them leaves room for doubt.

And it happens all the time people are convicted like that and that is our system whether people believe it or not.

J D Sal

 

[apple strudel]

Re: OT: Big Ben Accused of Sexual Assault

Well her being under psychiatric care for a made up relationship with a fictitious American soldier over the internet seems pretty damn specific and not just some random "nuts and sluts" slur campaign. If true it kills a lot of her credibility, which she didn't have much to begin with.

Not if it isn't true (who is the source?). Even if it is, if she really felt the guy was real and died, thought could be viewed sympathetically by a lot of people. Depends on the details. Finally, why doesn't she have much credibility to begin with? You certainly don't have enough information to make that claim.

 

[apple strudel]

Re: OT: Big Ben Accused of Sexual Assault

He isn't criminally charged. He is sued in a civil matter only (so far at least)....

I totally know that. Go back and re-read. I was responding to the likelihood that criminal charges could possibly arise from the civil suit.

 

[LearningToFly]

Re: OT: Big Ben Accused of Sexual Assault

Not if it isn't true (who is the source?). Even if it is, if she really felt the guy was real and died, thought could be viewed sympathetically by a lot of people. Depends on the details. Finally, why doesn't she have much credibility to begin with? You certainly don't have enough information to make that claim.

You're being really naive here.

She doesn't have much credibility here because:

-- She claims she was raped but never filed a criminal complaint and only filed a civil suit a year after the fact.
-- Her own co-workers are named in the suit, who apparently never backed her story
-- According to a co-worker, she was under psychiatric care at the time for trauma from a made up relationship with a fictitious person over the internet (how can you just sweep that aside?)
-- A long history of women trying to make a money grab by filing similar suits against big money celebrities. Just from Pittsburgh alone, Jerome Bettis was wrongfully accused, and Mario Lemieux was involved in a similar situation and was later exonerated.

She's not going to be viewed in a sympathetic or credible light, sorry. You're wrong here.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Re: OT: Big Ben Accused of Sexual Assault

I know exactly what you're trying to say and it doesn't work. The TYPE of story matters when it comes to calculating media exposure. The media exercises discernment in such matters, believe it or not. Maximum media exposure at the Super Bowl would've worked for a criminal complaint, NOT a civil case. This is a civil case. The dead of the NFL season DAYS BEFORE TRAINING CAMP is the PERFECT time to file a civil case of this nature. That's why it was done. Again, the lawyer here isn't attempting to make this a national media event as much as he's trying to make Ben uncomfortable enough to settle this outside the courtroom. How does the lawyer do that? By carefully orchestrating this to break when not much is happening so it will GET NOTICED AND RESEARCHED by reporters in time for Pittsburgh/NFL-oriented media to question Ben about it during his press availability AT TRAINING CAMP. What you naively believe is "simple" ain't so simple.

Give me a break. This is big news any day it's filed. Big Ben probably isn't even around an NFL facility for another week to be questioned.

 

[JDSal45]

Re: OT: Big Ben Accused of Sexual Assault

You're being really naive here.

She doesn't have much credibility here because:

-- She claims she was raped but never filed a criminal complaint and only filed a civil suit a year after the fact.
-- Her own co-workers are named in the suit, who apparently never backed her story
-- According to a co-worker, she was under psychiatric care at the time for trauma from a made up relationship with a fictitious person over the internet (how can you just sweep that aside?)
-- A long history of women trying to make a money grab by filing similar suits against big money celebrities. Just from Pittsburgh alone, Jerome Bettis was wrongfully accused, and Mario Lemieux was involved in a similar situation and was later exonerated.

She's not going to be viewed in a sympathetic or credible light, sorry. You're wrong here.

The 1 post guy suddenly with the flurry of 3 to support Big Ben and attack a woman before facts are known.

-You don't know if she applied for a criminal complaint or not. Just because one has yet to issue does not mean it wasn't reported or couldn't still issue

--You use vague terms like "her own co-workers are named in the suit" as if all of them are. As far as I know, Harrah's is a big place and only 8 co-workers were named. This seems to support she was contemporaneously reporting the incident some time ago. And you have no idea if there are other witnesses who SUPPORT her case because you aren't required to name every witness in the complaint. You simply jump to that conclusion because you WANT it to be true.

--You use "according to a co-worker".....gee, you think maybe one of the ones she sued?

--You mention incidents involving Bettis and Lemieux....figures

Its pretty obvious your agenda. Go back to Pittsburgh and rip the woman there. I'm not sure either way on the thing, but I'd like to make up my mind over the course of time as I learn more rather than from simply MY Sports Hero spinning. Pathetic.

J D Sal

 

[apple strudel]

Re: OT: Big Ben Accused of Sexual Assault

-- She claims she was raped but never filed a criminal complaint and only filed a civil suit a year after the fact.

Most rapes are not reported. That does not speak one iota to credibility.

-- Her own co-workers are named in the suit, who apparently never backed her story

Details?

-- According to a co-worker, she was under psychiatric care at the time for trauma from a made up relationship with a fictitious person over the internet (how can you just sweep that aside?)

We've been over this. If you met somebody you believed to be real online and felt that person died, you might be upset. Remember, a teenager killed themselves for a very similar reason. It seems like getting psychiatric help would be appropriate here.

-- A long history of women trying to make a money grab by filing similar suits against big money celebrities. Just from Pittsburgh alone, Jerome Bettis was wrongfully accused, and Mario Lemieux was involved in a similar situation and was later exonerated.

Sure, and nobody's saying that's not the case. It's possible, as much as it's possible that Big Ben is a rapist. Just as much as it's possible that aliens probed your butt last night. But we don't have any specific reason to believe that this is actually a money grab. Just a possibility. But you can't hang your hat on a possibility. We will find out if it is soon enough.

You're wrong here.

Not at all. Being naive is not the same as refusing to draw conclusions from precious few and disparate facts. :ugh:

 

[apple strudel]

Re: OT: Big Ben Accused of Sexual Assault

I'm not sure either way on the thing, but I'd like to make up my mind over the course of time as I learn more....

The internet is no place for measured and reasonable responses.

 

[LearningToFly]

Re: OT: Big Ben Accused of Sexual Assault

Well I'm sure you'd be defending this woman's credibility just as much as you are now if that was Tom Brady's name on the suit and not Ben Roethlisberger. Get real.

I'm sure if there was a story out that the woman was under psychiatric care during the time of the incident and had been involved in a fictitious relationship over the internet with a made up American soldier before hooking up with A Tom Brady or a Tedy Bruschi that you'd be vehemently swatting away the fanboys and defending this woman's claim and credibility.

 

[apple strudel]

Re: OT: Big Ben Accused of Sexual Assault

Not Ben, never!

Pittsburgh fan spotted.

 

[JDSal45]

Re: OT: Big Ben Accused of Sexual Assault

Well I'm sure you'd be defending this woman's credibility just as much as you are now if that was Tom Brady's name on the suit and not Ben Roethlisberger. Get real.

I'm sure if there was a story out that the woman was under psychiatric care during the of the incident and had been involved in a fictitious relationship over the internet with a made up American soldier before hooking up with A Tom Brady or a Tedy Bruschi that you'd be vehemently swatting away the fanboys and defending this woman's claim and credibility.

Get real.

I tend to think I'd be more open minded than you. Who simply LOVES BIG BEN and it hurts your little feelings someone said he did something wrong.

Whatever. You have nothing to offer here except tears for poor, wronged Ben.

Can you please let us wait for the facts? I'm sure they will come out eventually one way or the other.

J D Sal

 

[pheenix11]

Re: OT: Big Ben Accused of Sexual Assault

Big Ben is 2 for 2 in sabotaging Steeler's repeat chances, first the motorcycle accident in 2006 and now this. What a winner, the big dumbass.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Re: OT: Big Ben Accused of Sexual Assault

Goodell says if Ben is guilty that he will receive no NFL punishment other than having to hand over his motorcyle helmet to the commisioner for punishment .. oh,wait a minute,he has no helmet....