Dak Prescott experienced another legal win on Wednesday when a judge granted his motion to dismiss counterclaims filed against him by Victoria Shores.
Shores is the woman who, in March of this year, demanded $100 million from Prescott as compensation for damages stemming from an alleged sexual assault that she claimed occurred in 2017.
In response, Prescott proclaimed his innocence in the matter and filed a lawsuit against Shores for extortion.
Since then, there have been several developments including some significant judgments in Prescott’s favor.
In April, Shores’ case against Prescott in Dallas County was dismissed without prejudice.
In May, The Dallas police said there was insufficient evidence that Dak Prescott ever committed a crime against Victoria Shores.
Now, in June, a Collin County judge has dismissed Shores’ five claims against Prescott with prejudice and granted a motion for sanctions for frivolous pleadings.
In other words, not only have Shores’ claims been deemed to have no basis, but Shores will be penalized for filing the counterclaim in the first place.
As the remaining loose threads of this situation are tied up, there are a few details that should be understood in order to put future events into context.
Dak Prescott’s case is still open & pending
Each time a headline appears relating to a legal win for Dak Prescott, the masses respond in ways suggesting they believe the situation to be finalized.
However, the status of the case is listed as “open.”
A review of the case’s events and filings to this point shows that there may be a few other related matters that need to be handled before the case is officially closed.
Although Victoria Shores’ counterclaim was dismissed with prejudice (meaning the claims cannot be brought back to court) there are still other aspects of the case that need to be resolved.
Prescott’s extortion lawsuit mentioned three defendants: Victoria Shores and her attorneys, Yoel Zehaie and Bethel Zehaie. They have both submitted counterclaims of their own.
They also used the Texas Citizens Participation Act as a basis for a joint motion to dismiss Dak Prescott’s lawsuit altogether.
A lot of the attention on this case has stemmed from a desire to know the truth of what happened between Prescott and Shores and whether or not either one of them has been dishonest during these proceedings.
Regarding the sexual assault claims specifically, that part of the case does seem to have been decided with the presiding judge ruling that none of Shores’ claims have any basis in law.
Even though Victoria Shores’ counterclaim has been dismissed and sanctions are forthcoming, there may still be future hearings or rulings to address the other defendants and motions.
Shores’ attorneys no longer wish to represent her
On June 24, two days before the most recent hearing, Yoel and Bethel Zehaie submitted a motion to withdraw.
In the document obtained by Inside The Star, the attorneys state:
“Movants, Yoel and Bethel Zehaie, are currently attorneys of record for Victoria Shores. The interests of Ms. Shores are no longer aligned with Yoel and Bethel Zehaie. Due to what is in the best interest of Ms. Shores, Yoel and Bethel Zehaie, respectfully request an order granting this motion.”
The document goes on to mention that Shores objects to the motion. That detail suggests that Shores and the Zehaies are not in agreement on this.
Per Collin County laws regarding such motions, Shores has 10 days from the date of the filing to put her objection in writing. Whether that written objection is submitted or not, there may be a change in Shores’ representation or she may end up without representation.
The order granting the motion for sanctions states that sanctions will be levied against “Counter-Plaintiff Shores and her attorneys of record.”
It will be interesting to see how sanctions are handled with this motion to withdraw in play, especially if the motion is granted before the sanctions hearing.
The specific reasoning behind this motion to withdraw has yet to be revealed. If related details do come to light, they may be of interest to those who are following the case hoping to learn the true motives of Victoria Shores and the Zehaies.
A sanctions hearing will take place in September
The aforementioned sanctions for frivolous pleadings will not be decided for months.
In her order granting the motion, Judge Angela Tucker decided that an evidentiary hearing would take place on September 13, 2024. The aim of the hearing is to decide the appropriate sanctions to be imposed against Victoria Shores and her legal team.
One thing already known is that there will be a financial penalty.
Judge Tucker’s order states:
“Counter-Defendant Prescott is entitled to recover his costs and attorneys’ fees incurred with respect to defending against Counter-Plaintiff Shores’ defamation cause of action. The Court will determine the issue of attorneys’ fees, and any evidence thereof, at the evidentiary hearing[…]”
The date of that hearing is two days before the Dallas Cowboys’ first home game of the regular season. They will host the New Orleans Saints at noon on September 15.