Missouri judge fines 4 NFL owners

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A St. Louis Circuit Court justice four National Football League owners and acceptable a day for a show-cause proceeding implicit imaginable contempt of tribunal arsenic portion of a civilian lawsuit involving the relocation of the St. Louis Rams successful 2016.

Judge Christopher McGraugh took Kansas City Chiefs' Clark Hunt, Dallas Cowboys’ Jerry Jones, New England Patriots’ Robert Kraft, and New York Giants John Mara to task Wednesday during a find proceeding successful St. Louis’ suit against the NFL for breach of declaration successful moving the Rams to Los Angeles.

Mara was fined $8,000, Jones was fined $6,000, and Hunt and Kraft received $5,000 penalties.

The latest wrangling centered astir delays successful the owners providing fiscal documents arsenic compelled by the court.

The 4 owners besides were ordered to reimburse the plaintiffs astir $25,000 successful lawyer fees.

The show-cause proceeding is acceptable for 1:30 p.m. connected Dec. 3, but it’s unclear if Hunt oregon immoderate of the different owners volition beryllium required to look successful person.

McGraugh besides expects attorneys for the plaintiffs and defendants to hash retired remaining find items earlier the Dec. 3 hearing.

Initially filed successful April 2017, the lawsuit is scheduled for a assemblage proceedings opening Jan. 10, 2022.

The 4 owners failed to comply with a tribunal bid to marque fiscal documents disposable arsenic portion of the lawsuit, according to KSDK.

Hunt, Mara, and Kraft were portion of a committee exploring opportunities to instrumentality a squad to Los Angeles. Still, Jones led the complaint to override the committee’s proposal and paved the mode for Kroenke to determination the Rams to Inglewood, California.

According to tribunal filings, Hunt provided ownership documents for the Chiefs and Mustang Advisory Group LLC. and claimed a nett worthy little than the income connected 2 taxation returns.

Mara lone provided accusation astir his ownership of the Giants and refused to supply an estimated nett worth. At the aforesaid time, Kraft and Jones failed to crook implicit accusation related to businesses that look connected their taxation returns.

According to the city's attorneys, names and fiscal numbers are redacted arsenic portion of the nationalist tribunal filings.

Rams proprietor Stan Kroenke, who besides is portion of the lawsuit, provided much than 23,000 fiscal documents, KSDK reported.

The Chiefs deferred remark connected the substance to the NFL. Attorneys representing Hunt declined to remark connected the fines levied Wednesday.

The Rams moved from St. Louis successful 2016. A twelvemonth later, the city, St. Louis County, and the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority sued the NFL and its owners, seeking much than $1 cardinal successful damages for alleged violations of the NFL’s relocation policy.

Tod Palmer astatine KSHB archetypal reported this story.