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In the civil suit against former Buffalo Bills punter football player Matt Araiza, a Superior Court judge in San Diego has ruled that Araiza’s legal team will be allowed to question the accuser about her sexual history.
The woman, who was 17 at the time of the alleged incident, contends that football player Matt Araiza engaged in sexual activity with her in a side yard of the house before taking her to a bedroom where multiple men purportedly raped her. (Photo: NBC News)
Football Player Matt Araiza’s Rape Case
The woman had accused football player Matt Araiza and four other former Aztec football players of raping her at a house party near San Diego State University in October 2021.
The woman, who was 17 at the time of the alleged incident, contends that football player Matt Araiza engaged in sexual activity with her in a side yard of the house before taking her to a bedroom where multiple men purportedly raped her.
She reported to San Diego police that she had complied to avoid further harm. However, football player Matt Araiza has consistently denied these allegations, asserting that he remained in the backyard throughout the party and left nearly 30 minutes before the alleged bedroom incident occurred.
Football player Matt Araiza and the majority of the other former Aztec players named in the lawsuit maintain that their encounters with the woman were consensual. After a comprehensive police investigation, the District Attorney’s Office chose not to pursue criminal charges in December of the same year.
However, in response to the accusations, football player Matt Araiza filed a separate defamation suit against the woman, alleging that she had knowingly made false statements to law enforcement and media outlets with a reckless disregard for the truth.
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Football Player Matt Araiza’s Rape Case Ruling
According to a report in the San Diego Union-Tribune, Judge Braner’s decision, issued on Monday, permits deposition questioning to concentrate on the year leading up to the alleged assault.
Additionally, he instructed that most questions be formulated to solicit concise “yes” or “no” responses. The judge emphasized that the accuser’s credibility would be a crucial aspect of the case, justifying the allowance for inquiries into her public statements regarding her age and sexual history.
According to a published article, this ruling by Judge Matthew Braner opens up the possibility of delving into the accuser’s past actions and statements in an attempt to challenge her credibility.
The legal battles have had a significant impact on football player Matt Araiza’s professional career. Following the filing of the lawsuit, the Buffalo Bills released him from their roster in August.
Despite his remarkable performances as a punter, which earned him the nickname “Punt God” and the title of a consensus All-American during his senior year at San Diego State, Araiza’s pursuit of a punting job in the NFL has been hindered due to the ongoing civil case.
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