|
Paula Jones vs. President Clinton
Past Updates
November 5, 1998: Jones lawyers to withdraw from the case; Clinton rejects latest settlement proposal
November 3, 1998: Jones lawyers balk at new Hirschfeld conditions, call settlement offer invalid
October 31, 1998: Jones accepts Hirschfeld's renewed settlement offer, prompting more questions
October 28, 1998: New York millionaire withdraws settlement offer
October 26, 1998: Jones documents reveal sexually explicit depositions from Jones' sister and alleged former lover
October 26, 1998: Newly released Jones documents show Secret Service tried to avoid testifying in Jones case
October 20, 1998: Panel hears Jones' appeal, addresses Lewinsky scandal
October 19, 1998: Jones documents show Clinton was forced to answer questions intended to "embarrass and harass"
October 19, 1998: Clinton rejects latest Jones settlement offer
October 16, 1998: Despite Clinton admission, Jones still faces uphill battle on appeal
October 14, 1998: Jones asks federal court to admit Starr report into appeal
October 9, 1998: New York millionaire helps Jones come closer to a settlement
October 8, 1998: Judge unseals Jones documents; Clinton lawyer admits Lewinsky affidavit was a lie
October 2, 1998: Clinton raises settlement offer to Jones
September 30, 1998: Jones files final appeals brief
September 28, 1998: Jones attorneys believe Clinton will settle
September 25, 1998: New settlement deal offered to Clinton
September 4, 1998: Conservative group calls for Clinton contempt hearing
September 2, 1998: Judge considers contempt hearing in Jones case
August 19, 1998: Jones -- Clinton thinks he's "above the law"
July 31, 1998: Claiming court overlooked evidence, Jones appeals her case
July 30, 1998: Clinton lawyers hint at Jones' motives in unsealing case
July 22, 1998: Jones asks for case to be unsealed
July 9, 1998: Judge delays unsealing Jones files
June 30, 1998: Judge lifts gag order in Jones case
June 12, 1998: Letters reveal Jones' motives in case
April 16, 1998: Jones Announces She Will File Appeal
April 1, 1998: Judge Dismisses Jones Case
March 20, 1998: Clinton Lawyer Insists Jones Has No Case
March 13, 1998: Jones Lawyers Offer Insight Into Case Strategy
February 26, 1998: Word of Abortive Deal Talks in Jones Case
February 18, 1998: Clinton Team Asks for Summary Judgement
February 2, 1998: Clinton Team Asks for Earlier Trial Date
January 29, 1998
President Bill Clinton's legal team scored a victory when U.S. District Judge Susan Webber Wright ruled that evidence about an alleged affair between Clinton and ex-White House intern Monica Lewinsky would not be admissible during the Paula Jones sexual harassment trial.
In her ruling, Judge Wright said that Lewinsky was "not essential to the core issues" of Jones's case against the President. Jones's team would have tried use Lewinsky to prove that Clinton showed a pattern of sexual misconduct against his female employees. Judge Wright also thought that the Lewinsky evidence would also cause an undue delay in the case.
Before the ruling, Whitewater independent counsel Kenneth Starr also had asked Judge Wright to limit Jones lawyers from gathering evidence about Lewinsky because he feared they would interfere in his probe on Clinton's alleged affair with the former intern. Lewinsky alleges that Clinton asked her to lie to investigators about their affair. If these accusations are proven true, Clinton could be charged with perjury, obstruction of justice, and suborning a perjury.
Wright's ruling also prevents Jones's attorneys from casting doubt on the credibility of Clinton's sworn deposition given on Jan. 16. In that statement, Clinton reportedly denied having sexual encounters with Lewinsky and another White House employee Kathleen Willey. Lawyers for Paula Jones said that they planned to appeal the judge's decision.
January 23, 1998: A New Scandal
Days after giving a pre-trial deposition in front of Paula Jones in Jones's sexual harassment suit against him, President Bill Clinton was hit with new allegations that he had an affair with a 24-year-old former White House intern --and then asked her to lie about it if questioned by investigators.
The intern, Monica Lewinsky, was scheduled to give a sworn statement to Jones's lawyers on Friday, Jan. 23. (Jones's representatives will try to use Lewinsky's alleged relationship with the President to show that he has a pattern of sexual misconduct.) However, U.S. District Judge Susan Webber Wright postponed Lewinsky's deposition indefinitely on Jan. 22 so that the former intern would have time to negotiate a deal for immunity against perjury charges with investigatinh Whitewater attorney Kenneth Starr.
On Jan. 7, Lewinsky reportedly filed an affidavit with Jones's attorneys denying the affair. But Lewinsky apparently revealed her affair to a one-time co-worker and former White House aide Linda Tripp. According to reports, Tripp taped her conversations with Lewinsky about her alleged affair with Clinton. Reportedly, Tripp provided Starr with 17 tapes in which Lewinsky apparently gives a detailed account of her relationship with the President. During her deposition, Lewinsky was expected to use her Fifth Amendment Right to not incriminate herself and not answer Jones's lawyers' questions.
President Clinton is reportedly outraged by the new allegations and denies ever having an "improper relationship" with Lewinsky. He also denies orchestrating the alleged coverup, which could potentially lead to charges of obstruction of justice or fostering a perjury.
Accusations of this latest sex scandal involving President Clinton came days after he was accused of having Arkansas State Trooper Danny Ferguson arrange late-night White House rendevouses with a woman after he was elected. During his six-hour deposition on Jan. 17, in addition to refuting Paula Jones's accusations, Clinton reportedly denied both making passes at four different women on various occasions, including former White House employee Kathleen Willey and Lewinsky. However, reportedly he did admit to having an affair with former cabaret singer Gennifer Flowers, a charge he had previously denied.
January 14, 1998
President Bill Clinton's sworn deposition in the Paula Jones sexual harassment case will no longer take place in the White House. The President's testimony, which will occur in Jones's presence, is now tentatively scheduled to be held in law offices of Robert Bennett, Clinton's attorney, on Saturday morning, January 17.
Bennett's office is only a few blocks away from the White House. Reportedly, the President and his advisors were concerned about the attention Jones would attract if she was seen entering the White House for the deposition. Clinton's advisers also were apparently concerned about further information about the case being leaked, despite a strict gag-order.
This announcement came one day after President Clinton told U.S. News and World Report that the sexual harassment suit will "probably" go to trial. Clinton also told the magazine that he tries to let his representatives comment on the case so that he will be able to focus on his duties as President. On Jan. 12, Paula Jones indicated that she was willing to settle her lawsuit against the President for $2 million and a public apology. (In her lawsuit, Jones is actually seeking a reported $525,000.) Clinton's representatives have rejected that offer, which has lessened the chances of an out-of-court settlement.
October 13, 1997
Lawyers for President Clinton began taking sworn statements in Paula Jones's sexual harassment suit against the President.
Jones accompanied her mother, Delmer Corbin, to the law office of one of Clinton's attorneys in Little Rock, Ark., Kathlyn Graves. Corbin's deposition was expected to focus on what Jones told her about the 1991 incident in which then-governor Clinton allegedly exposed himself and demanded oral sex from Jones. Lydia Cathey, Jones's sister, was scheduled to give a sworn statement tomorrow while two former colleagues of Jones will be questioned next week. Neither Jones nor Corbin would comment on the deposition after the four-hour session.
October 1, 1997
Paula Jones announced her new legal team today.
The Dallas-based firm of Rader, Campbell, Fisher & Pike will represent Jones in her sexual harassment lawsuit against President Clinton. Jones and her spokesperson, Susan Carpenter- McMillan, also announced that the conservative Rutherford Institute of Charlottesville, Va. will raise money to pay her legal fees.
The annoucements came nearly one month after Jones's former attorneys, Joseph Cammarata and Gilbert Davis withdrew from her case. (Read the motion to withdraw.) Cammarata and Davis said that "fundamental differences" developed between them and Jones over out-of-court settlement talks Davis and Cammarata had with the President's lawyers.
September 9, 1997
Paula Jones's two main attorneys have been allowed to withdraw from her sexual harassment lawsuit against President Bill Clinton. (Read the motion to withdraw.)
After a conference call with attorneys Joseph Cammarata and Gilbert Davis, U.S. District Judge Susan Webber Wright decided to let the two lawyers leave Jones's defense team. The judge's ruling came the day after Jones's lawyers had filed the motion in federal court in Little Rock, Ark. Joseph Cammarata and Gilbert Davis said that "fundamental differences" had developed between them and Paula Jones. Jones and her attorneys reportedly have clashed over the out-of-court settlement talks Davis and Cammarata have had with the President's lawyers. According to reports, Davis and Cammarata seem anxious to reach a settlement with President Clinton while Jones insists that she will avoid trial only if she receives an explicit apology from the President. Representatives of Clinton have said repeatedly that he will not apologize for something he did not do.
The relationship between Jones and her lawyers soured last week when Davis and Cammarata presented her with terms of a settlement agreement which they suggested was approved by Clinton's lawyers. The settlement reportedly contained a mild apology from the President and would have required Jones to drop her suit in exchange for $700,000. Clinton's lawyers have denied ever approving these settlement terms.
Despite the withdrawal of Cammarata and Davis, jury selection in Paula Jones's case against President Clinton is still scheduled to begin May 27, 1998.
August 22, 1997
Jury selection for Paula Jones's sexual harassment case against President Clinton is scheduled to begin May 27, 1998. In a written order, a federal judge in Arkansas set the trial date while at the same
time dismissing parts of Jones's case against the President.
U.S. District Judge Susan Webber Wright threw out Jones's claims that
Clinton had defamed her and deprived her of her right to bodily integrity
or due process. (In Paula Jones's case, due process refers to her right to
bodily integrity, which is a person's right to not be violated by another
person.) Judge Wright said she struck down Jones's due process claim
against Clinton because Jones failed to show that the President engaged "in
egregious sexual conduct" such as physically forcing himself upon her. The
judge also felt that Jones did not prove the basis of her defamation
allegations against Clinton.
Despite having two of her claims thrown out, Jones gained a victory when
Judge Wright allowed her allegations of emotional distress and outrage to
stand. According to the judge, jury selection for the trial could take as
long as a month, but she hopes to try the case in five or six days.
Attorneys for Clinton and Jones have suggested the possibility of an
out-of-court settlement. However, Clinton's attorney, Robert S. Bennett has
said that any settlement would have to be worded very carefully and not
suggest any wrongdoing on part of President Clinton. Before filing her
lawsuit against Clinton, Jones had sought a Presidential apology from him.
However, Bennett repeatedly has claimed that the President will not
apologize for something he did not do.
| 
