Mistrial sought in rape lawsuit against Derrick Rose
LOS ANGELES — A judge in the trial of a rape lawsuit against NBA star Derrick Rose and two other men said Tuesday that he’s considering a mistrial after criticizing the plaintiff’s lawyers as “unbelievably careless” in production of exhibits.
Rose’s lawyers asked U.S. District Court Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald to declare a mistrial because they had not been given three text messages important to their case until Friday, when Rose was on the witness stand.
The lawyers for the woman who accused the New York Knicks player and two friends of raping her in her apartment in 2013 said the texts were previously disclosed and the argument was frivolous.
Fitzgerald, who used the phrase “unbelievably careless” several times, said it was not a frivolous matter and he told the lawyers to prove the texts had been disclosed.