What happened in Jerry Jones’ trial with Alexandra Davis?

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has been involved in an ongoing legal battle with 27-year-old Alexandra Davis, who claims to be Jones’ daughter. She argued that the contract entered into in 1998, which said that Jones would pay Davis’ mother, Cynthia, millions of dollars to fund Alexandra’s life “from early childhood through adulthood” in exchange for her silence about his identity as her father, is not valid.

Shocking turn of events

After Jones was originally ordered to take a paternity test in February to prove whether or not he’s the father, Jones filed an amended complaint and is now the plaintiff, while the Davises are the defendants. For now, the paternity case, which remains separate, is ongoing in Dallas County, but the paternity test has been put on hold.

Now, a judge has ruled that the settlement agreement between Jones and the Davises is in fact a valid contract. The contract states that Cynthia Davis cannot sue Jones to establish paternity and that the details of it must remain confidential. The women had also argued that any contract which prohibits a child from establishing a paternity violates a Texas public policy that “protects the best interests of children and states that parents ‘share in the rights and duties of raisng a child’”. Meanwhile, Jones’ attorneys argued that Texas courts allow parents to waive certain constitutional rights on behalf of their children.

The judge ruled that not only is the settlement valid but it also does not violate any public policy, as the “Texas law is clear” that parents can in fact enter legal agreements on their children’s behalf.

Davis’ attorney, Jay Gray, disagrees with the ruling and plans to appeal it. He will not be able to do so, however, until after the verdict. “I can’t in good conscience let this ruling stand without trying to fight it,” said Gray. “I can’t let my legacy be allowing a rich father to prevent their child from being able to establish paternity.”

Jones is arguing that the contract was breached when Alexandra filed a defamation lawsuit against him, in which she accused him of portraying her as an “extortionist” just looking for his money. That suit was dismissed by a judge in March. The Davises also tried using the argument that the contract is not valid because Jones had never seen it until they presented it to him two years ago, and because he couldn’t remember the details.

The judge, however, said that the Davises can “explore inconsistencies”, but that Jones’ inability to remember details from a contract made over 20 years ago does not invalidate the contract itself.

“All parties - Jones, through [an agent], and Cynthia Davis, on behalf of herself and her daughter Alexandra Davis - performed their duties under the settlement agreement for more than 20 years until the alleged breach occurred, indicating their intent to be bound by the terms of the settlement agreement,” the judge wrote. “Accordingly, the contract is valid and enforceable as to as least Jones, Cynthia Davis and Alexandra Davis before she reached the age of majority.”

Jones also accused the Davises of destroying text messages which discussed the settlement agreement with other third parties. The judge ruled that it may very well be true, but there is no proof that they did so “in bad faith”.

What’s next?

Jones will face Alexandra Davis in a jury trial on July 22 in a U.S. district court in Texarkana. Both parties will be able to present their arguments and evidence. Despite Jones arguing that the 1998 settlement agreement was broken, he has consistently denied that he is Alexandra Davis’ father.