Are Gary Goddard’s Attorneys Confident Claims of Sexual Abuse Are False?

Gary Goddard, Hollywood producer, and Bryan Singer, Hollywood director, are being sued by multiple parties for underage sexual abuse.

The first lawsuit was filed a few weeks ago with a second added within the past week. Both suits claim Gary Goddard and Bryan Singer used their influence, power, and cocaine to take sexual advantage of teenage males.

Gary Goddard’s attorneys released a statement:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-bryan-singer-gary-goddard-sex-abuse-lawsuit-20140504,0,31916.story#ixzz30sDEjLKF

“The allegations made against Mr. Goddard are vehemently denied and will be vigorously defended at any trial of these matters and Mr. Goddard is entirely confident that he will be fully vindicated.”

“The allegations” “are vehemently denied” – Who denies the allegations? The attorneys issued the statement, but the statement does not state the attorneys themselves deny the allegations, only that the allegations are “denied”, probably by Mr. Goddard. The denial is sensitive to whoever is denying because their denial is being done “vehemently”.

“Will be vigorously defended at any trial of these matters” – Who will “vigorously” defend? What will they defend”? If we reread the statement carefully, we realize the statment is a compound sentence which we can reduce to two sentences:

“The allegations are vehemently denied”

and

“The allegations will be vigorously defended at any trial of these matters”

In other words, the “allegations” will be “vigorously defended” by the plaintiffs who brought the allegations forward. Most readers probably read this section quickly and believed it stated Mr. Goddard’s attorneys would be defending his denial of the allegations, but this is very specifically what they DO NOT say. Attorneys make their living using words. They do not inadvertently use words incorrectly, especially for public statements intended for print. Why have Mr. Goddard’s attorneys not promised publicly to defend him?

“Mr. Goddard is entirely confident that he will be fully vindicated.” – The use of the extra word “entirely” shows Mr. Goddard’s confidence is sensitive, either to Mr. Goddard or his attorneys. The use of the extra word “fully” indicates sensitivity to “vindicated”. For the attorneys, there are levels of vindication, ranging from “fully” to less so.

Also note, although Mr. Goddard “is entirely confident”, his attorneys do not appear to share his confidence as they make no statements about their own confidence in their ability to defend their client. Mr. Goddard is confident, his attorneys not so much.

We have learned Mr. Goddard’s attorneys’ choice of words outside the courtroom, if mirrored inside the courtroom, may find Mr. Goddard far from “vindicated” should these charges come to trial.