Dak Prescott sexual assault lawsuit moved to Collin County
COLLIN COUNTY, Texas - Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and the woman who claims he sexually assaulted her will have their legal fight in Collin County.
Lawyers for Victoria Shores have closed their original case in Dallas County, but the legal fight is far from over.
FOX 4 normally does not identify alleged victims of sexual assault, but this is a case Shores' attorneys have brought to public attention.
In March, sexual assault allegations against Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott went public.
Prescott's lawyers revealed allegations that Shores and her lawyers asked for $100 million in exchange for not pursuing criminal charges.
Prescott's legal team called the claim extortion and filed a lawsuit in Collin County.
LANDOVER, MARYLAND - JANUARY 07: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys warms up before the game against the Washington Commanders at FedExField on January 07, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
This month, lawyers for Shores added counterclaims to Prescott's extortion lawsuit in Collin County.
"We’ve refiled in Collin, so all lawsuits can be heard together. All of our counterclaims have been filed in Collin County, including the sexual assault claim," said Shores' lawyer Bethel Zehaie in a statement.
FOX 4 asked Russell Wilson, a lawyer not involved in the case, about what this means.
"This is just procedural posturing, and I think that will see it's more like, stand by and we'll see what happens. But I expect you'll see motions from each side. The case should move into what would be known as the discovery phase, where ultimately, witnesses are questioned under oath. Regarding the allegations in the case," said Wilson.
Dak Prescott Extortion Lawsuit: Woman accusing Cowboys quarterback of sexual assault files police report
A police report has now been filed against Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott for an alleged sexual assault in 2017. This week, Prescott's legal team also filed an extortion lawsuit and met with Prosper police to file a criminal complaint.
The woman claims Prescott exposed himself and then sexually assaulted her in the backseat of an SUV outside the XTC Cabaret in Dallas in 2017.
Prescott and his lawyer say those claims are false.
Levi McCathern, Prescott's attorney, called the allegations ridiculous.
"As we have said from the beginning – the ridiculous claims Ms. Shores and her team came up with are completely false and criminal. In Texas, it’s against the law to shake down someone for any amount of money – and this is just that – a shake down. It’s also sad for the legitimate survivors of sexual assault when people use our system to try and enrich themselves at the expense of others.
We reported their criminal behavior to the Prosper Police Department and have been fully cooperative with them. When Ms. Shores doubled down on her false claim of sexual assault and reported it to the Dallas Police Department, we proactively reached out to cooperate with them as well. Dak has nothing to hide – he did nothing wrong. He has and will continue to fully cooperate with any investigation, knowing the truth is on his side.
Their team recently dismissed the civil suit in Dallas County. This will not make it all just go away – we are ensuring their lies are brought to light. We are confident the truth will prevail, and we are proud to stand with Dak."
Those in the court of public opinion were critical of the $100 million ask by Shores' legal team, but Wilson told us that isn't an uncommon action.
"You're not required to go to the police first. Of course, we've seen other high profile athletes, sued with sexual assault allegations that didn't involve criminal prosecutions and so sometimes those cases, the details of the case, kind of dictate that course of conduct," said Wilson.
Shores did file a police report with the Dallas Police Department on March 12, 2024.
There's been no update to that side of the case.
Cowboys: No urgency to extend Dak Prescott's contract
The Dallas Cowboys apparently do not plan to give quarterback Dak Prescott a contract extension any time soon.
We do not know if any details in the Collin County suit are different from what we already know.
The lawyers for the accuser said they would be available for interview, but we have not heard back.