Former skilled soccer and baseball participant Bo Jackson is giving up a $21m judgment in opposition to his niece and nephew, whom he mentioned harassed and tried to extort cash from him.
A decide in February dominated in Jackson’s favor within the swimsuit he had filed in April 2023 in opposition to Thomas Lee Anderson and Erica M Anderson, often known as Erica Anderson Ross. Jackson, a operating again who gained the Heisman Trophy at Auburn and in addition performed in each the NFL and MLB, Jackson had alleged in his lawsuit that his family tried to extort $20m from him by means of harassment and intimidation.
Along with the financial award, final 12 months’s ruling included a everlasting protecting order barring his niece and nephew from bothering or contacting him and his fast household. It additionally mentioned they have to keep at the very least 500 yards from the Jacksons and take away social media posts about them.
Cobb County superior courtroom decide Jason D Marbutt mentioned in his February order that neither Jackson’s niece and nephew nor their attorneys rebutted Jackson’s claims or participated within the case after a Might 2023 listening to, once they consented to a brief protecting order. The decide discovered the Andersons to be in default, accepting as true all of Jackson’s allegations.
After that ruling was issued, a brand new lawyer for the Andersons filed a movement in March to put aside that judgment and to dismiss the lawsuit, based on courtroom filings. In a submitting Tuesday, Jackson and the Andersons collectively requested the decide to throw out February’s order, withdraw the Andersons’ pending motions and enter a consent judgment.
“Within the meantime, the Events have carried out two mediations and have reached a personal settlement resolving this dispute,” the submitting says.
Marbutt on Wednesday issued an order vacating his February ruling on the request of Jackson and his niece and nephew.
That consent judgment finds in Jackson’s favor on a number of counts and dismisses others, awards no damages both to Jackson or his niece and nephew and says the events shall pay their very own attorneys’ charges. It additionally says the Andersons should not harass or intimidate Jackson and his spouse and youngsters and keep 500 yards away from them, besides in sure circumstances, together with courtroom appearances, sporting occasions and household features. The Andersons are additionally to not have any contact with Jackson and his spouse and youngsters.
Jackson, 62, had alleged that the harassment started in 2022 and included threatening social media posts and messages, public allegations that put him in a false mild. He additionally alleged that public disclosure of personal data was supposed to trigger him extreme emotional misery. With the assistance of an lawyer, the Andersons demanded $20m to cease. He mentioned he feared for his personal security and that of his household.
