To no surprise, the woman who accused Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman of false imprisonment and battery isn’t happy with the decision not to prosecute him.
And, to no surprise, Tila Tequila Nguyen will pursue the day in court that prosecutors have declined to provide her, by filing a civil lawsuit against Merriman.
The disclosure comes at the conclusion of the following statement issued by Nguyen’s representative to TMZ.com:
“Tila Tequila is the victim of a violent crime. The San Diego District attorney’s decision not to press charges against Shawne Merriman for the battering of Tila Tequila demonstrates an unconscionable negligence in the discharging of their public duties. We strongly feel that justice has not been served in this matter.
“Obviously, The San Diego Charger’s NFL franchise brings millions of dollars in revenue to the city of San Diego, and it seems clear that other interests are being served by the DA’s office than the upholding of the law. A young woman was violently beaten and choked, and the physical evidence is both overwhelming and disturbing. Tila’s account of the events has remained consistent from the beginning, while Merriman’s story has changed repeatedly.
“Just because the DA has made this reckless decision doesn’t mean that justice will not be served in this case. No one is above the law. Tila Tequila will immediately begin pursuing civil charges against Mr. Merriman and she will have her day in court.”
Whoever wrote that statement has little or no appreciation of the realities of the California criminal justice system. You know, the same criminal justice system that nearly 14 years ago allowed O.J. Simpson to get away with a double homicide. (Allegedly.)
The contents of Nguyen’s Twitter page, both the stuff that was deleted and the stuff that wasn’t, persuaded us that her story would never hold up under aggressive cross examination, and that she’d likely be unable to otherwise control her emotions in the courtroom, doing things like huffing and puffing and rolling her eyes and making nasty faces and generally doing things that can alienate a jury.
Basically, she would have been doing the kind of stuff she’ll be doing if she sues Merriman and the case goes to trial.
Then again, the fact that she comes off as (frankly) a complete flake doesn’t mean she has no rights. And she has the right to pursue them in court. And even though no criminal charges were filed, she could still win a civil case against Merriman.
