Travis County D.A. Moore and Her First Assistant Hire Top-Tier Help
Infamous defense attorney will represent the defendants in rape survivor's defamation suit
By Sarah Marloff, Fri., Oct. 25, 2019
Houston powerhouse attorney Russell "Rusty" Hardin Jr. of Rusty Hardin & Associates will represent Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore, her first assistant Mindy Montford, and the county itself in the defamation suit filed by sexual assault survivor Emily Borchardt. On Oct. 23, Hardin filed a Notice of Attorney in Austin-based U.S. District Court, declaring himself "counsel of record" for the defendants.
Borchardt – one of eight plaintiffs in the survivors' class-action lawsuit against the D.A.'s Office, local law enforcement, the city of Austin, and the county – filed a second suit against Moore and Montford in September, alleging the two women lied about her case to a third party in an attempt to dissuade her from continuing with the class action.
In 2011, Hardin, who has his own Wikipedia page, was dubbed "one of America's greatest trial lawyers" and a "courtroom charmer" by ESPN. At the time, he was representing New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens for alleged steroid use; Clemens was acquitted a year later. Hardin's resume includes defending – among others – baseball's Wade Boggs for sexual harassment claims; NFL player Warren Moon, accused of domestic violence; NBA star Calvin Murphy, accused of sexually abusing five of his daughters; and NASCAR driver Kurt Busch for domestic assault.
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