Former Arista Records CEO L.A. Reid has secured a delay in the civil sexual assault lawsuit filed against him by former employee Drew Dixon. The decision came after Reid appeared in court with a new legal team, just two weeks before the trial was set to begin.
According to a report from Complex, Reid showed up to court on Monday with lawyers Diana Fabi Samson and Michael DiBenedetto of the firm Aidala Bertuna & Kamins. Fabi Samson explained to Judge Jeannette A. Vargas that her firm had just met with Reid that day and would need more time to prepare, calling a two-week turnaround “malpractice.” She stressed the high stakes of the civil case for her client, stating, “For Mr. Reid, this is fighting for his life — his financial life, his reputation.”
Judge Vargas was initially resistant to the request, noting that she had repeatedly warned Reid’s previous attorneys that their departure would not change the September 8 trial date. She expressed her frustration, stating that she was aware a new legal team would inevitably ask for a delay. “This is the exact scenario that I warned we are not going to tolerate,” she said.
However, the judge’s position shifted when it was revealed that Reid did not have his case file. Judge Vargas deemed this a significant due process matter, stating, “The court is very regretful that it feels constrained to do this,” but that a “significant due process matter” was at play. She ultimately pushed the trial date back, but made it clear she was not happy with the circumstances.