Lawyers From Both Sides In Roethlisberger Case Want Sanctions

Each side's legal representation now wants each others ass in a sling, and they're more than willing to file paperwork to prove their points...

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((HT: Reno Gazette-Journal/Bellisle))

Roethlisberger’s lawyers are threatening to sue Dunlap for defamation, among other claims, while Cal Dunlap, lawyer for Andrea McNulty, says a letter from Roethlisberger’s lawyers “borders on criminal extortion.”

In a motion filed Thursday, Dunlap said Roethlisberger’s lawyers failed to follow standards of professional conduct when they attached an affidavit by McNulty’s former friend to a motion to change venue, and followed-up with a letter to Dunlap calling for McNulty to apologize, withdraw her claims, and help them go after Dunlap.

The Aug. 19 settlement letter makes two proposals: The first calls for McNulty to dismiss her suit and sign a release.

The second proposal states that if she cooperates with Roethlisberger in his claims against Dunlap for extortion, abuse of process, malicious prosecution and defamation, they will release her from all claims.

The letter also states that McNulty’s lawsuit was part of a conspiracy to extort and defame Roethlisberger, and said the “actual and intended result of this wrongful conduct has been, inter alia, to seriously impair his earning potential in an amount well exceeding $20 million.”

Dunlap said Roethlisberger’s lawyers were trying to intimidate him and McNulty.

“It appears that Mr. Roethlisberger is not satiated by the complained of assault on plaintiff, but needs to further assault her legal rights and wishes to assault and bully her counsel,” Dunlap said in a motion opposing Atlanta lawyer David Cornwell’s request to work on the case with local counsel John Echeverria.

Cornwell responded by saying Dunlap and McNulty, were both at fault.

“Mr. Dunlap hurled false and vicious attacks against good people into the public arena,” Cornwell said in an e-mail. “The evidence proves that Ms. McNulty knew and Mr. Dunlap knew or should have known that her allegations are false. This evidence was available to Mr. Dunlap before the scurrilous complaint was filed.

Here's Dunlap's copy of the opposition to the motion for a change in venue for the trial...

And here's Dunlap's paperwork on his opposition to the Roethlisberger attorneys...

Those of us at OSG HQ tihnk both sides are just warming up their printers and PDF's...