By Scott Daniels, Esq., NFL Draft Bible
Randy Moss is arguably the most captivating wide receiver in the NFL. He is also one of the most controversial.
Moss dazzled fans in Minnesota with his blazing speed and ability to go up and virtually steal the football from mid-air. The Culpepper-Moss tandem was by far one of the most dangerous offensive threats in the last decade. But while Moss was quickly becoming a superstar, his individuality took center stage after he walked off the field during the end of a game while playing for Minnesota.
While there was only seconds remaining in that game, fans across the country proclaimed Moss a quitter and a cancer in the locker room.
Moss's legal resume dates back to 1996 where he faced charges stemming from an altercation with the mother of his child. The charges were eventually dropped.
In 2002, Moss was back in the news after physically bumping a traffic cop with his vehicle and his latest run-in with the law involved an alleged dispute with a woman at her Florida home in January of this year.
Earlier this month, the alleged victim, Rachelle Washington, petitioned the court to request that her case against Moss be dismissed. Several media outlets have jumped the gun and immediately began to report that all charges against Moss have been dropped. This is entirely not the case.
Washington had obtained a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Moss in early January. She received it "ex parte," which means that she got the TRO without informing Moss, which is perfectly legal. In Moss's case, the TRO directed him to refrain from going within 500 feet of Washington.
It's fairly easy to obtain a TRO and the party it's directed towards has no involvement in the proceeding until the actual hearing to determine whether or not the TRO will become a permanent restraining order.
No criminal charges were filed against Moss and Washington never filed a civil case against him. In the end, charges against Moss were not dropped because charges never existed.
The bottom line is, the media is obsessed with superstar athletes and their legal problems. Although it's unfortunate for Moss, once his name is dropped in the news, the assumption is that he is in trouble with the law.
It has become an American passion to watch our star athletes succumb to our nation's legal system and Moss has become the latest victim of this phenomenon. In this case, the public was privy to a flurry of allegations and rumors and all we knew was that a temporary restraining order was granted. That doesn't sound like a ton of information.
Once the story hit the news wires, many depicted Moss as a criminal. Now that Washington has dropped her restraining order against Moss, those same people are condemning Washington and coming to the defense of Moss. Meanwhile, the public knows practically nothing about the actual incident.
Rumors are beginning to surface that Moss entered into a settlement agreement with Washington, but it would seem odd to me seeing that the case involved a restraining order and not a civil action against Moss.
If there was a payment by Moss, the public will eventually find out, most likely by way of a court filing. And while Moss can get on with his already stellar career, the public's perception of him remains to be suspect.
