Bumped. GO BRUINS. -N

In the ongoing saga of Reggie Bush and his one-time relationship with the aspiring sports agents/marketers of New Era Sports, New Era partner Lloyd Lake had been scheduled to give a deposition today in San Diego. While this meeting was not interrupted by Bush's armed posse, Reggie did find a new way to cut this one short.

Yahoo Sports reports that at the start of Lake's deposition, counsel for Bush filed a motion which would have effectively barred Lake from talking, under a theory that the settlement reached last year between Bush's parents and New Era partner Michael Michaels (regarding allegations that Mr and Mrs Bush received approximately $300,000 in benefits from the firm) prevents Lake from giving testimony regarding Bush's relationship with Lake and New Era

Proceedings halted less than 10 minutes after Lake’s deposition was to begin. Bush’s attorney David Cornwell said the motion was to compel Lake to adhere to the terms of the settlement reached between Michaels and Bush’s parents – LaMar and Denise Griffin.

An irritated Superior Court Judge Joan M. Lewis admonished both sides, but ultimately agreed to postpone all depositions in the case and schedule a hearing for Aug. 1 to discuss the motion.

The motion filed by Bush's counsel is the first confirmation of the previously reported settlement between Michaels and Bush's family; while the general discussion regarding the continuing course of litigation between Bush and Lake has presupposed that Lake is free to testify as to his relationship with Bush (and as rumors of settlement offers between the parties may support), counsel is now asserting that: 1) Lake is bound by the settlement between Michaels and Bush's family, and 2) Bush is covered under the settlement as an "intended beneficiary" of the settlement.

Cornwell [ed. Bush's counsel] said the settlement with Michaels included Bush as an “intended beneficiary” of Michaels, releasing the family of any liabilities. A copy of the settlement filed with the court was heavily edited, removing almost all detail of the transaction.

My own knowledge of Civil Procedure, Depos, and other relevant law covering this sort of settlement in California is limited, so anyone that can shed some light, please feel free.

The big point to come out of this, at least as the agreement is interpreted by Lake and his counsel, is that Bush and/or his family did take money from New Era.

“They’re conceding that they received this money,” Lake’s attorney Brian Watkins said. “But now their argument is that: ‘We got this money, but we paid it back already. We paid it to Michaels and that satisfied Lloyd’s debts.”

Lake was more succinct.

“The key thing is (they said) they never took money before,” Lake said. “Now, they’re saying they did.”