Five years later, after being sued by a South Carolina woman, the Dallas Cowboys’ owner, Jerry Jones, the sexual assault lawsuit is now heading towards a jury trial. The incident dates back to 2018, when a woman, along with her grandson, can be seen in a photo with Jones. Around two-and-a-half minutes later, the same woman also posed with the then-Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith.

In 2020, two years after the incident, what followed was a lifetime of allegations for Jones after the woman accused him of sexual assault. Since then, the lawsuit against Jones has been delayed and reopened multiple times, but this Thursday, that slice of time was deemed too significant to be thrown out.

According to Matt Kyle of The Dallas Morning News, Judge Aiesha Redmond denied a summary judgment motion to dismiss the sexual assault lawsuit against Jones, clearing the way for a jury trial in July 2026.

Jones’s legal team came out swinging. Attorney Levi McCathern painted a picture of impossibility, pointing to the smiling faces in the photos as proof of a good time. He stacked the box with affidavits from Coach (former) Jason Garrett, RB Ezekiel Elliott, and a host of security guards, who all testified they saw nothing.

The plaintiff’s attorneys came back with a different story, a counter-narrative. They spoke not of smiles, but of a sudden “commotion.” Of gasps. Of Jones’ being hurried from the room right after the alleged incident.

Dual realities in the courtroom

Attorney Antwone Cobbin argued that while the owner’s witnesses saw nothing, his client’s witnesses, including her grandson, saw everything. He then noted that most of the people testifying for Jones happened to be on his payroll.

Jones’s camp is betting a jury will see it their way. McCathern was blunt after the hearing, calling the lawsuit “an absolute hogwash case. It’s completely made up,” and insisting, “Jerry didn’t do anything wrong.”

The plaintiff’s team, however, sees it as a war of attrition. Attorney Thomas Bowers, another of the woman’s lawyers, also labeled the filing “frivolous,” accusing Jones’s lawyers of “extending the case long enough so that his client would give up.” It’s a cynical view, but one rooted in the power dynamics at play. “Each side has witnesses… but theirs are paid.” Bowers said, He claims they have an ‘avalanche of evidence,’ and promised, ‘Justice will prevail at the end of the day.’

So the trial continues, pushed back to a July 20th, 2026, trial date.