clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Arrest Warrant Request For Unnamed Lions Player Denied

Last week Plymouth police put in a request to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office for an arrest warrant to be issued against the unnamed Lions player who has been accused by an unnamed 22-year-old woman of "inappropriate sexual conduct." 

That request has been denied (via MLIVE):

According to the Detroit-based attorney who represents a Detroit Lions player who was accused of inappropriate touching of a sexual nature, a request for an arrest warrant was denied.

"There was never a doubt in our mind that the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office would reach the conclusion they did,'' said attorney Jay Colvin.

This does not preclude the woman's attorney from filing a civil suit, as her attorney suggested they would do after seeing how the player's attorney would handle the situation. The player's attorney called the bluff and said they would countersue for defamation, so who knows if the woman's attorney will actually follow through.

Regardless, Kowalski reports that the identity of the unnamed Lions player -- and his accuser -- may never be known: 

"We've asked the names be redacted from any Freedom of Information request. We believe there's precedent in the law,'' Colvin said. "We hope that the complainant's counsel adheres to his initial statements that his client wanted no attention or publicity and the recent threat of a civil suit is reconsidered.''

There is indeed precedence in the law, which actually includes a case involving Booth Newspapers v. the Kalamazoo School District. The names would be rightfully redacted from any Freedom of Information requests because the case contains embarrassing private facts and, according to the aforementioned opinion, "it is hard to imagine anything more embarrassing than allegations pertaining to personal sexuality, particularly if the allegation is compounded by illicit and possibly criminal misconduct in sexual behavior." Bummer for the morbidly curious.