Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Last week, a judge ruled that the woman who has accused Derrick Rose and two of his friends of gang rape must reveal her identity in the pending civil case that is scheduled to go to trial on October 4th. In addition to the question of anonymity for the accuser, one of the other disagreements between the two parties has been whether a criminal case was pending against Rose. In pleadings with the court, Rose's attorney has argued that the plaintiffs were lying and attempting to gain a settlement advantage by claiming that a "criminal case" existed. Earlier this morning, a letter from the Los Angeles Police Department to the accuser's attorney, obtained by legal blog The White Bronco, attempted to tackle both the issues of anonymity and the status of a criminal case.The letter, written by Detective Nadine Hernandez is convoluted and written in double negatives, but seems to confirm that a "criminal investigation" is current and pending against Rose. Specifically, Det. Hernandez writes, "This note is to clarify any misconception that the Los Angeles Police Department does not have a current and open criminal investigation pending that names the same suspects as the defendants in the current civil case being handled by your office."That is a mouthful of linguistic gymnastics to get to the ultimate point of saying "Yes, there is a criminal investigation pending against Derrick Rose," and it's worth pointing out that while Rose's attorney has been adamant that the accuser's attorney has lied about the existence of a criminal case, this letter only refers to a criminal investigation, which is different.With respect to the issue of anonymity, Det. Hernandez wrote that the victim exercised her right to confidentiality when she filed the report and that the LAPD will continue to keep her name confidential throughout the investigation. Hernandez continued, "The ability to offer anonymity to victims of sex crimes is an invaluable investigative aid to investigators as well as a great comfort to victims of crimes of such a sensitive nature."The accuser's attorney is looking to have the judge reconsider the ruling on his client's anonymity and will seek to use this letter to bolster his argument.Rose LAPD Letter
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