Editor’s Word: The next story offers with sexual assault, and could also be distressing for some readers.
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LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — A Georgia man dropped his lawsuit accusing former NBA star Dwight Howard of sexual assault after attorneys for Howard alleged the person deleted textual content messages displaying their encounter was consensual.
Stephen Harper dismissed the case in a submitting in Gwinnett County courtroom on Tuesday. The dismissal was with prejudice, which means he can’t refile the lawsuit.
The submitting didn’t present any clarification for the dismissal. Harper’s attorneys, Olga Izmaylova and Sadeer Sabbak, didn’t instantly return cellphone and e-mail messages on Thursday.
Justin Bailey, an lawyer for Howard, stated his shopper didn’t pay Harper or attain some other sort of settlement with him. He stated Howard didn’t wish to touch upon the dismissal.
Bailey referred to courtroom paperwork he filed in July accusing Harper of deleting textual content messages and presenting a false report of his conversations with Howard concerning the 2021 sexual encounter at Howard’s Georgia residence. Howard’s attorneys stated the lacking messages confirmed that Harper consented to the encounter and deliberate to “expose” Howard after Howard stopped responding to his advances.
The submitting sought sanctions towards Harper and his attorneys, together with fee of Howard’s lawyer prices.
Gwinnett County police have stated Harper filed a police report practically a yr after the encounter, however then didn’t meet with a detective regardless of repeated makes an attempt to schedule an interview.
