Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty ImagesA woman who accused Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer of sexual assault has been denied a permanent domestic violence restraining order against him, court documents obtained by E! News show.
In late June, the 27-year-old obtained a temporary order against the 2020 Cy Young winner, in which she claimed that he choked her until she passed out and punched her during sex, causing injuries that required hospitalization. Earlier this week, the accuser testified against the MLB player, who has denied allegations of assault and said the two engaged in consensual sex twice, NBC News reported.
But at a civil court hearing on Thursday, Aug. 19, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Dianna Gould-Saltman denied the woman's bid for a permanent restraining order against Bauer and dissolved the temporary one she had previously obtained. The judge determined that Bauer did not pose a threat to the woman and that her injuries were not the result of anything she verbally objected to, according to ESPN.
The judge said the "injuries as shown in the photographs are terrible" but added, "If she set limits and he exceeded them, this case would've been clear. But she set limits without considering all the consequences, and respondent did not exceed limits that the petitioner set," according to ESPN.
Lisa Helfend Meyer, the plaintiff's attorney, said in a statement to E! News, "While our client is disappointed about the judge's ruling, she is hopeful that Mr. Bauer will voluntarily seek the help he needs to make sure that no other woman in a dating relationship with him suffers the same traumatic fate that she did. That is why she was willing to come forward and endure the victim blaming from Mr. Bauer that she knew would inevitably result. Keeping not only herself but also other women safe from the hands of this troubled man has always been a priority—and will continue to be so."
Bauer's attorneys, Shawn Holley and Jon Fetterolf, said in a statement following the ruling, "We are grateful to the Los Angeles Superior Court for denying the request for a permanent restraining order and dissolving the temporary restraining order against Mr. Bauer today. While we have expected this outcome since the petition was filed in June, we appreciate the Court reviewing all relevant information and testimony to make this informed decision."
Around the time the temporary restraining order was granted, Police launched an investigation into the two alleged encounters between the woman and Bauer, which the woman said occurred April 21 and May 16 at Bauer's home in Pasadena, Calif. No arrests have been made and no criminal charges have been filed against the athlete.
Fetterolf had previously said in a statement that Bauer had had a "brief and wholly consensual sexual relationship initiated by" the woman beginning in April and which included "only two meetings."
"Her basis for filing a protection order is nonexistent, fraudulent, and deliberately omits key facts, information, and her own relevant communications," the attorney said. "Any allegations that the pair's encounters were not 100% consensual are baseless, defamatory, and will be refuted to the fullest extent of the law."
In a declaration given under the penalty of perjury, the woman said in June, according to ESPN, "I agreed to have consensual sex. However, I did not agree or consent to what he did next. I did not agree to be sexually assaulted."