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Summary: The mostly female jury came back after hours of deliberation to find basketball star Derrick Rose and his friends not guilty of rape.
A federal jury found basketball star Derrick Rose not liable in a sexual assault civil trial. The New York Knicks point guard and his two friends were accused of gang-raping Rose’s ex-girlfriend when she was unconscious. The eight-member jury began deliberating Wednesday morning and announced their decision by 4:30 pm.
In a statement to the Associated Press, Rose said, “I am thankful that the jury understood and agreed with me. This experience and my sensitivity to it was deep. I am ready to put this behind me and focus on my family and career.” Jury members and Rose posed for photos outside the courthouse after the verdict was read.
Read Ex-NFL Player Charged with Murdering Cellmate.
One member of the jury identified as Jared, 25, told reporters that they jury, comprised of two men and six women, tried to rule in the plaintiff’s favor but found her behavior unbelievable. He said, “It felt like she was playing us,” in regards to what he described as fake tears.
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Rose’s ex-girlfriend claimed she was raped by Rose and his two friends in her Los Angeles apartment in August 2013 after she passed out from drugs or alcohol. The three men never denied having sex with her but insisted it was consensual. The issue for the jury was to decide if she consented or was too intoxicated to do so.
See Chicago Blackhawks Patrick Kane Investigated for Rape.
Rose’s attorneys painted the picture of a woman that was angry she had been dumped and concocted a plan to set him up and get a big payout. They called her a 30-year-old college student gold digger that was trying to trick people. She was seeking $21.5 million but ultimately left the amount up to the jury.
Her attorneys referred to the men as “sexual deviants” that devised to rape her after she had passed out. He had everything to lose if the jury had found him guilty. His contract includes a moral clause and his endorsement from Adidas would be jeopardized.
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To learn more about the case, read Chicago Bulls Star Derrick Rose Accused of Rape.
Photo: nydailynews.com
