June 4, 2002

 Court Rules Against Raiders in NFL Case in Los Angeles

                A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Monday ruled against the Oakland Raiders in the latest round of its many lawsuits against the National Football League.

Judge Richard Hubbell ruled in the NFL’s favor on all of the Raiders’ claims that they did not have to share stadium revenues in Oakland with the other 31 NFL clubs under the League’s revenue sharing rules.

In May, 2001, a jury in the same case reached a verdict in the NFL’s favor that the Raiders did not “own” Los Angeles and that the League had not interfered with the Raiders mid-90s negotiations to build a stadium at Hollywood Park.  Hubbell’s decision on Monday involved the second and final phase of this litigation, which was presented to the court in April.

“We are pleased that Judge Hubbell confirmed that the Raiders have the same obligation to share revenues as do the other 31 clubs,” a League spokesman said.  “We hope that this decision will end litigation relating to the Raiders’ return to Oakland and other contentious matters between Mr. Davis and the 31 other NFL owners.”

The Raiders returned to Oakland in 1995 and had refused to share millions of dollars in stadium revenues since that time.