2020 court date set for Hayne trial
RUGBY League star Jarryd Hayne will face a five-day jury trial over the alleged rape of a young woman while he was chasing his dream to play NFL in San Francisco.
Judge Lucy Koh has told San Jose District Court the trial will take place in January, 2020.
Hayne has been accused of rape by the young woman, known as JV, after a night of drinking at San Jose’s Willow Den Bar in December 2015.
San Jose police investigated the woman’s claims after she came forward in 2016, but did not find enough evidence to lay criminal charges.
In a brief court hearing yesterday in San Jose, lawyers for Hayne and Ms V said they had failed to reach agreement in a confidential mediation hearing last month.
Hayne’s attorney, Mark Baute, who successfully defended NBA star Derrick Rose against sexual assault charges two years ago, said his client denied the allegations.
“I like Jarryd Hayne very much and we look forward to proving his innocence in a courtroom,” Mr Baute said outside court.
Ms V’s lawyer, Micha Starr Liberty, said her client was still struggling emotionally over the alleged assault.
“She’s doing OK,” Ms Liberty said. “It’s day to day. She processes her experiences and she is doing her best to maintain her therapeutic regimen and just cope.”
Ms Liberty said it was possible the trial could be averted if the parties could reach a settlement before a deadline of February next year.
Ms V is suing for more than $75,000, according to court papers.
“We are always open to further negotiation and any sort of resolution but it has to make sense to our client,” Ms Liberty said. “She would like to see some sort of acknowledgment of the damage that was done to her and that will allow her to move forward.”
The alleged victim launched civil action against the 30-year-old father-of-one last December.
Ms Liberty said her client had been afraid of bringing the charges for several months after the alleged attack but eventually sought treatment for continuing vaginal pain in April 2016.
At that time, an emergency room doctor concluded that she had been sexually assaulted and contacted San Jose police, as required by law. Police investigated but the Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office said it did not have enough evidence to bring criminal charges.