Smokey Robinson’s attorney is seeking harsh sanctions against one of the six plaintiffs who have accused the legendary singer of sexual misconduct while she worked in the Robinson household.
Attorneys for Robinson and his wife, Frances Robinson, have said in their court papers that the plaintiffs’ accusations in the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit are part of an “organized, avaricious campaign to extract money from an 85-year-old legend.”
In court papers filed Friday with Judge Kevin C. Brazile in advance of an April 7 hearing, Christopher Frost and his fellow attorneys contend an original plaintiff known only as Jane Doe 4 has repeatedly avoided being deposed and therefore should face a possible default judgment. At minimum, her individual claims should be assessed evidentiary sanctions limiting what evidence can be presented on her behalf, according to the Robinson lawyers.
“The Robinsons have no choice but to bring this motion because plaintiff Jane Doe 4 has made it clear she will not sit to complete her court-ordered deposition,” the Robinson attorneys state in their court papers.
If the judge is not yet inclined impose the harsh sanctions, he should at the very least prevent her from testifying at trial, according to the Robinson attorneys’ court papers.
” A simple review of the facts make clear that … Jane Doe 4 and her counsel are, in fact, ignoring the court’s orders and utilizing every tool at their disposal to evade her deposition,” the Robinson attorneys further state in their pleadings.
According to the suit filed last May 6, the four original plaintiffs contend the alleged abuses occurred at the 85-year-old Motown icon’s Chatsworth home and elsewhere. The two newer plaintiffs are identified as Jane Doe 5 and John Doe 1 and joined the case in November.