{"id":57338,"date":"2022-08-26T19:21:09","date_gmt":"2022-08-26T19:21:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/matt-araiza-gang-rape-argument-attorneys-for-both-sides-trade-public-barbs\/"},"modified":"2022-08-26T19:21:09","modified_gmt":"2022-08-26T19:21:09","slug":"matt-araiza-gang-rape-argument-attorneys-for-both-sides-trade-public-barbs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/matt-araiza-gang-rape-argument-attorneys-for-both-sides-trade-public-barbs\/","title":{"rendered":"Matt Araiza gang-rape argument: Attorneys for both sides trade public barbs"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p id=\"tiIusX\">With his client facing a civil and potential criminal charges stemming from an October 2021 gang-rape accusation while a member of the San Diego State football team, the attorney for Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza went on the CBS affiliate in San Diego night.  In this sit-down, which lasted more than seven minutes, criminal defense Kerry Armstrong questions answered from the anchor about the incident. <\/p>\n<p id=\"8IS8Ub\">Armstrong said he was hired just six weeks ago by the Araiza family, which starts to fill in a timeline of his knowledge base, both of the situation and the conversation with the Buffalo Bills.  Many of the details he shares from the night in question come via a private investigator he hired who conducted interviews more than nine months after the alleged incident occurred. <\/p>\n<p id=\"CV7Ukl\"><em>Content warning: This story contains graphic details of rape and sexual violence.<\/em><\/p>\n<p id=\"ARPFm3\">\u201cHe is 100% adamant that he never forcibly raped this young lady or forcibly had sex with her in any type of way or had sexual relations with her when she was intoxicated, be it alcohol and\/or drugs,\u201d opened Armstrong. <\/p>\n<p id=\"52gliK\">Armstrong says Araiza didn&#8217;t give the accuser a drink or intoxicating substance and \u201cshe was not visibly intoxicated when he was speaking to her.\u201d  He goes on to say she wasn&#8217;t slurring or stumbling.  That wasn&#8217;t the only thing the lawyer argued with from the civil complaint. <\/p>\n<p id=\"HYc98C\">\u201cThis was not Matt Araiza&#8217;s residence, [so] that&#8217;s in dispute.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside id=\"695Exq\">\n<\/aside>\n<p id=\"UELO7J\">Concerning the Buffalo Bills, Armstrong says he has been communicating with the team for the last six weeks, lining up with his hiring by Araiza to defend him in the criminal matter.  He was also asked directly about what NFL teams knew before the 2022 NFL Draft, where the Bills selected Araiza in the sixth round. <\/p>\n<p id=\"8zUy4m\">\u201cDid he inform the NFL of the investigation before the draft?\u201d  asked the interviewer.<\/p>\n<p id=\"dDs0a6\">\u201cYou better believe he did,\u201d Armstrong responded.<\/p>\n<p id=\"0ooxkH\">If that&#8217;s the case, that information didn&#8217;t filter down to NFL teams, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ByTimGraham\/status\/1563136944946974720\" target=\"_blank\">according to Tim Graham of <em>The Athletic<\/em><\/a>  citing sources from around the NFL including the Bills. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ByTimGraham\/status\/1563139251406979072\" target=\"_blank\">Graham also mentions<\/a> that players have been disinvited or not invited to the NFL Combine for much less serious infractions, so it would stand to reason the NFL and NFL teams had no idea these accusations were pending against Araiza at the time of the NFL Draft.<\/p>\n<p id=\"71hTLc\">\u201cI don&#8217;t know what information the Bills had at the time when they actually selected him in the draft,\u201d said Armstrong.  \u201cI do know that I have kept them up to date recently about some of the case, so I think they have a decent enough understanding of what the are.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"wED96N\"><em>Update: Armstrong reached out to ESPN to clarify the quote and timeline:<\/em><\/p>\n<p id=\"3KSDQe\"><em>\u201cI don&#8217;t know.  I don&#8217;t think it was before the draft,\u201d Armstrong said.  \u201cI&#8217;m almost certain it was after.  Apparently I said that, so that was a mistake.  But he was forthcoming with the Bills, but I don&#8217;t think it was until after he was drafted because he didn&#8217;t know that this was ever going to go anywhere until the LA Times article came out, I think around, whatever it was , five or six weeks ago.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p id=\"79gmfw\"><em>That LA Times article was published June 3rd, nearly twelve weeks before the civil lawsuit came to light, not six. <\/em><\/p>\n<p id=\"yxPe1O\"><em>End update.<\/em><\/p>\n<p id=\"QKFYOT\">If the Bills found out about it six weeks ago when Armstrong was hired, it was before training camp opened and certainly before any decision had been made in the punter competition.  Buffalo released Matt Haack earlier this week, seemingly awarding Araiza the punting\/holding job.  The timing of the argument seems to have piqued Armstrong&#8217;s interest. <\/p>\n<p id=\"i3fxky\">\u201cI think that&#8217;s pretty obvious [why someone would make these claims now],\u201d said Armstrong.  \u201cHe&#8217;s now a member of the Buffalo Bills.  He just got on the team two or three days ago and I think this is a money grab on her part.  I know that&#8217;s probably going to be heavily disputed by her attorney, but deep pockets for someone who is in the NFL and I think she sees some dollar signs at the end of the highway. \u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"grJL06\">The accuser&#8217;s attorney, Dan Gilleon, disputes this money-grab timeline, saying Armstrong offered to settle the lawsuit on Aug.  1, before Araiza was named the team&#8217;s punter. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/dangilleon\/status\/1562969378412322822\" target=\"_blank\">He provided time-stamped text messages with Armstrong&#8217;s team to prove it<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p id=\"K40iLn\">\u201cHis criminal attorney says my client claimed rape when he was in college because he is &#8216;now a Buffalo Bill.&#8217;  Huh?  Araiza offered us &#8216;cash&#8217; before he made the cut.  We ignored the bush-league offer and filed a case,\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/dangilleon\/status\/1563134642592501760\" target=\"_blank\">tweeted Gilleon.<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"xh94E3\">It should also be noted that the accuser didn&#8217;t know it was Matt Araiza when she originally made the criminal complaint, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ByTimGraham\/status\/1563165001422356482\" target=\"_blank\">according to Graham<\/a>.  Accusing him in October 2021 instead of after the 2022 NFL Draft or after he made an NFL roster would seem to torpedo his chances of making significant dollars to be mined for a big civil suit pay day, as well. <\/p>\n<p id=\"W0lrOj\">\u201cBased on what I&#8217;ve learned so far, she didn&#8217;t know who Araiza was until the police helped her with the pretext calls and his ex-teammates told her with the police listening in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"pwXONE\">For what it&#8217;s worth, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/dangilleon\/status\/1563148165322158081\" target=\"_blank\">Gilleon also called the Bills&#8217; attorney<\/a>The , Kathryn D&#8217;Angelo, a \u201cclass act\u201d who \u201cdenied knowing about the nonsense.\u201d  They spoke via email once on July 31st and had a long phone call the next day.  He did not share similar kind words about the Bills organization.<\/p>\n<p id=\"wlSthv\">\u201cThis was a horrific crime, the kind of which happens all too often,\u201d Gilleon said in a statement.  \u201cWhat makes these crimes different is not only that they were committed by self-entitled athletes.  Just as awful as the crimes, for months, multiple organizations \u2014 SDSU, the San Diego Police Department, the San Diego District Attorney, and now the Buffalo Bills \u2014 have acted the part of enablers looking the other way in denial that my client deserves justice even if the defendants are awarded athletes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"n5NApC\">Gilleon also told Graham Friday morning that the Bills never reached out to him or his client during their recent self-described \u201cthorough examination\u201d of the incident.  The last time Gilleon spoke with anyone from the team was the August 1st phone call with the team&#8217;s attorney. <\/p>\n<p id=\"5icMza\">\u201cNever heard from them again,\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ByTimGraham\/status\/1563183110384017414\" target=\"_blank\">Gilleon told Graham<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p id=\"JQnxYS\">Another explanation for the timing is the conclusion of the criminal investigation by the San Diego Police Department, who recently gave their report to the district attorney.  With the investigation no longer possibly tainted, the accuser could move forward with the civil complaint and not damage the concurrent criminal process. <\/p>\n<p id=\"OtuiOR\">Armstrong, the criminal defense attorney, is confident Araiza won&#8217;t be charged criminally and noted Araiza will be hiring a civil defense attorney in the coming days.<\/p>\n<p id=\"fKGy1o\">You can watch the full interview embedded below. <\/p>\n<div id=\"JJGCkQ\">\n<p><div class=\"ast-oembed-container\" style=\"height: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Interview: Attorney for former SDSU Aztec, current NFL player Matt Araiza discusses alleged rape\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dw1j8MdQuDI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"uyYKXK\">Previous coverage<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With his client facing a civil and potential criminal charges stemming from an October 2021 gang-rape accusation while a member of the San Diego State football team, the attorney for Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza went on the CBS affiliate in San Diego night. In this sit-down, which lasted more than seven minutes, criminal defense &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/matt-araiza-gang-rape-argument-attorneys-for-both-sides-trade-public-barbs\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Matt Araiza gang-rape argument: Attorneys for both sides trade public barbs<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":57552,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/buffalo-bills-punter-matt-araiza-sits-out-preseason-finals-in-wake-of-gang-rape-argument\/","url_meta":{"origin":57338,"position":0},"title":"Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza sits out preseason finals in wake of gang rape argument","date":"August 27, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"5:38 PM ETAlaina GetzenbergESPN Buffalo Bills rookie punter Matt Araiza, who was accused in a lawsuit Thursday of gang raping a 17-year-old girl when he was at San Diego State last year, did not dress for Friday night's preseason game against the Carolina Panthers.Araiza was not seen on the sideline\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":56935,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/bills-matt-araiza-accused-of-gang-raping-teenager-while-at-san-diego-state-buffalo-bills\/","url_meta":{"origin":57338,"position":1},"title":"Bills&#8217; Matt Araiza accused of gang-raping teenager while at San Diego State |  Buffalo Bills","date":"August 26, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Matt Araiza, the 'Punt God' who led San Diego State to a record-setting season before being drafted by the Buffalo Bills, and two of his former Aztecs teammates were accused in a civil lawsuit Thursday of gang-raping a teenager at an off -campus party last fall.The lawsuits, filed in San\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":58478,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/buffalo-bills-release-punter-matt-araiza-in-wake-of-gang-rape-argument-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":57338,"position":2},"title":"Buffalo Bills release punter Matt Araiza in wake of gang-rape argument","date":"August 28, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"8:03 PM ETAlaina GetzenbergESPN ORCHARD PARK, NY - The Buffalo Bills have released punter Matt Araiza two days after a civil lawsuit was filed alleging he and two other current and former San Diego State football players gang raped a minor.Araiza was not at practice Saturday after being held out\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":60762,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/matt-araizas-accuser-speaks-out-after-gang-rape-allegation\/","url_meta":{"origin":57338,"position":3},"title":"Matt Araiza&#8217;s accuser speaks out after gang-rape allegation","date":"August 30, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The 18-year-old woman who accused former Bills punter Matt Araiza and two other San Diego State University players of gang-raping her as a minor said she was left bleeding after the alleged assault took place at an off-campus party in October. In an interview with CBS News, the unnamed woman\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"Matt Araiza's accuser speaks out to CBS News about the former Bills punter.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/08\/Matt-Araiza-Accuser.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":57063,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/bills-punter-matt-araiza-accused-of-rape-in-civil-lawsuit-in-california-buffalo-bills-news-nfl\/","url_meta":{"origin":57338,"position":4},"title":"Bills punter Matt Araiza accused of rape in civil lawsuit in California |  Buffalo Bills News |  NFL","date":"August 26, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Buffalo Bills rookie punter Matt Araiza and two former college teammates at San Diego State University have been accused in a California civil lawsuit of gang raping a 17-year-old girl at an off-campus party last fall.The lawsuits, filed Thursday in San Diego County Superior Court, alleges Araiza, then 21, had\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":56476,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/matt-araiza-is-sued-for-gang-rape\/","url_meta":{"origin":57338,"position":5},"title":"Matt Araiza is sued for gang rape","date":"August 25, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Getty Images Bills rookie punter Matt Araiza, who has quickly risen to fame with a strong leg and a catchy nickname, faces a very serious off-field issue before his first NFL game.According to the Los Angeles Times, Araiza is among the defendants in a civil lawsuit alleging gang rape. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"Buffalo Bills Training Camp","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/profootballtalk.nbcsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2022\/08\/GettyImages-1413307915-e1661468008212.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/uT4dPsWtM0Ov16pymtQWK6r6Aj8=\/0x145:2736x1684\/1600x900\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_image\/image\/71288121\/usa_today_17832336.0.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57338"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57338"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57338\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}