A United States court has now made a big ruling in the rape case involving Cristiano Ronaldo.
In 2009, a woman named Kathryn Mayorga alleged that she had been raped by Ronaldo in a Las Vegas hotel, but the footballer, who was playing for Manchestr United at the time, denied those accusations, insisting that their relations were consensual.
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With the case have been dragged out for more than a decade, US judge has now issued a R6 million penalty to Mayorga's lawyer, Leslie Mark Stovall, for trying to acquire millions of dollars from Ronaldo despite the player having paid the woman $375 000 (R6.7 million) as a settlement in 2010, according to the Daily Mail.
Stovall and his associates tried to overturn that initial settlement, claiming that their client was mentally incapacitated at the time, but the judge has now ruled that the attorney's conduct was in "bad faith" and held Stovall personally liable for settling the penalty.
In an 18-page written ruling, district judge Jennifer Dorsey declared: "I find that Ronaldo would not have incurred a majority of the fees and costs that he spent on this litigation absent plaintiff's counsel's bad faith."
Dorsey also accused the lawyer of tainting the case "beyond redemption" after Stovall illegally obtained documents revealing discussions between Ronaldo and his attorney about the rape allegations.
The Al Nassr striker and his lawyer had repeatedly argued that the aforementioned documents were altered in an attempt to defame the Real Madrid legend.
The 38-year-old has now been awarded more than half of the $609 680 (R10.9 million) in legal fees he was trying to claw back because of Stovall's "bad faith".
However, the judge also said she could not order the disgraced attorney to settle the full amount as a result of Ronaldo not acting quicker in getting the case thrown out.
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Dorsey ruled: "It was clear early on that Mayorga's allegations were rooted in the purloined materials.
"Ronaldo shares at least part of the blame for this case dragging on for as long as it did although he had to recognise its dubious underpinnings.
"I thus decline to award fees for the work Ronaldo's attorneys performed in discovery or preparation for trial, as that work could have been avoided."
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