The Jonathan Martin incident sparked an effort to dig up dirt on the primary alleged aggressor, suspended Dolphins guard Richie Incognito.
And the dirtiest dirt came from a report that he allegedly assaulted a female volunteer at the team’s annual golf outing, with a golf club.
The alleged victim said she couldn’t talk, which implied strongly that she got paid. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the amount was in the range of $30,000.
The lawyers in the crowd (we know you’re out there, billing a few hours before kickoff) will cringe upon reading that, since virtually every civil settlement includes a supposedly ironclad confidentiality provision. Violating it leads to all sorts of potential penalties -- especially if the person who got paid is the one who blabs.
In this specific case, Jackson cites an unnamed Dolphins source, which would tend to keep the heat off the alleged victim.
Regardless, someone talked about something about which there should have been no talking.
As to the amount paid, it’s a good deal for whoever funded it. Defending a case like that and winning it would cost at least $50,000, probably a lot more. Writing the check avoids the expense of litigation, the possibility of a big verdict, and the embarrassment that comes from public disclosure of the alleged behavior.
For Incognito, the behavior would have been concealed indefinitely but for the Martin situation.