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January 28, 2008

Sides agree to extend Moss restraining order

BOSTON (AP) - Lawyers for Randy Moss and the woman who accused him of battery agreed to extend a temporary restraining order she obtained against the New England Patriots wide receiver, his agent said Monday.

A court hearing was scheduled Monday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Rachelle Washington's request for a permanent restraining order. The temporary order required Moss to stay at least 500 feet from Washington. No criminal charge has been brought, and they described each other as longtime friends.

David McGill, Washington's attorney, did not return calls.

Moss is in Arizona for the Super Bowl on Sunday against the New York Giants. He has denied the accusation by Washington that he committed "battery causing serious injury" to her at her Florida home Jan. 6.

"The restraining order will be continued by agreement of the attorneys," Tim DiPiero, Moss' agent, told The Associated Press in a statement. "The parties won't be there."

Moss' attorney, Richard Sharpstein, said he would appear at the hearing on his client's behalf and agree to the extension of the restraining order until both parties can appear in court or the matter is resolved.

"We have no contest over the restraining order given the current situation. He will stay completely away from her and has no desire to have contact with her," Sharpstein said. "He's in Phoenix busy preparing to win the Super Bowl and on a day like today his mind is elsewhere."

The restraining order created a stir and potential distraction for Moss, who gave an emotional defense in the Patriots' locker room for about 10 minutes on Jan. 16. Four days later, New England beat San Diego 21-12 in the AFC championship game at Foxborough. For the second straight game, he caught just one pass against the Chargers.

The issue quickly faded from the spotlight, replaced last week by the swirl of attention around quarterback Tom Brady being spotted wearing a protective boot on his right foot in New York. He didn't comment on it until arriving in Phoenix on Sunday night.

"It's feeling good. I'll be ready to go," Brady said.

Moss said the woman who obtained the order has been a friend for 11 years and that she asked for "six figures" for what he said was an accident in which she was hurt.

"They're false allegations, something I've been battling for like the last couple of days of threats going public if I didn't pay X amount of dollars," Moss said. "This young lady by no means is hurt. I didn't hurt her."

On draft day last April, the Patriots sent a 2007 fourth-round draft choice to Oakland for Moss. He set an NFL single-season record of 23 touchdown catches, breaking Jerry Rice's mark by one. He finished tied for eighth in the league with 98 catches and second with 1,493 yards receiving.

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