New Orleans Pelicans talent Zion Williamson is not out of the woods yet. A Miami judge denied his request for a protective order, ruling that the former Duke standout must answer questions under oath about his college eligibility, according to attorney Darren Heitner.
The Pelicans rookie and his legal team hoped to stop the discovery process, arguing that the inquiry was “invasive” and “irrelevant.” His former agent, Gina Ford, is suing Williamson for breach of contract, claiming he received impermissible benefits to play basketball at Duke
Ford is looking for answers from Zion Williamson, his mother, and stepfather about the house they lived in while he was at the school. That's not all. Ford is also looking into gifts, money, and even a car he allegedly received during his time at the touted ACC school.
According to Heitner, if the ruling stands, Williamson could have to answer questions about whether he or his parents received any “money, benefits, or favors” before selecting Duke as his school of choice. Enticements by Nike and Adidas could also be thrown into the mix.
The Pelicans talent's legal team is expected to immediately file for appeal to the Third District Court Administrator (DCA) through petition, which could be in motion as soon as next week, according to attorney Daniel Wallach, a legal analyst for The Athletic.
According to Wallach, the judge could have whiffed on the ruling.
I think the judge whiffed on the issue. It’s well-settled Florida law that a later-filed state court action must be stayed in deference to an earlier-filed federal action involving the same or similar claims and parties. Next stop: 3rd DCA (maybe next week).
— Daniel Wallach (@WALLACHLEGAL) June 2, 2020
A 2007 precedent in Pilevsky v. Morgan Hotel Group Management declares it an “abuse of discretion” for a judge to “refuse to stay a subsequently filed state court action in favor of a previously filed action which involves the same parties,” according to Florida case law.
If the judge denies Williamson's request for stay, his legal team could immediately file a petition for writ of certiorari (further review) with Florida’s Third DCA, where any adverse ruling on the stay would likely be overturned based on a decision that favored former NHL player Sergei Federov.
Stay tuned for more.
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