Brooke Nevils could bring a civil suit against Matt Lauer, a legal expert says.
The accusations against the disgraced “Today” anchor bring up a host of thorny legal questions that are intriguing experts.
Former “Today” producer Nevils has accused Lauer of raping her in 2014 in Russia, before they began a relationship in New York, which she said she embarked on fearful Lauer could ruin her career.
Even though Page Six is told that Nevils does not want to launch legal action, it turns out that she might be able to file a suit based on recent changes in the law.
She couldn’t mount a criminal case against Lauer, according to Loyola Marymount law professor David Glazier — in part because there’s no extradition treaty between Russia and the US — but she could now bring a civil suit.
Last month, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed off on a law in New York that extended the time period for rape victims to file a civil suit to 20 years.
Glazier said, “The real challenge with a civil suit is one of jurisdiction. In most civil cases of assault, the case is brought in state courts as a violation of state law.”
He added, Nevils “may be able to argue that the trauma of the events in Russia left her in a position of not being able to consent to the subsequent relationship with Lauer in New York.”
Lauer denies all accusations of wrongdoing and says they had a consensual affair.
For more on the Matt Lauer scandal, listen to this episode of the Page Six podcast, “We Hear”: