Former U.S. District Judge Barbara Jones to Serve as Hearing Officer in Ray Rice Appeal

Former United States District Judge Barbara S. Jones has been appointed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to hear and decide the appeal filed by the NFL Players Association on behalf of Ray Rice.

Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Commissioner Goodell is obligated to consult with NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith before appointing an appeal officer. The NFL and NFLPA collaborated on the selection and the union agreed to the appointment of Judge Jones. Rice was suspended indefinitely by Commissioner Goodell on September 8 for his violation of the NFL Personal Conduct Policy involving domestic violence.

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Judge Jones served in the Southern District of New York from 1996 to 2013. Prior to her appointment to the bench by President Bill Clinton, she served as an attorney in the Department of Justice, an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York, and Chief Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan. Judge Jones is currently a partner in the law firm of Zuckerman Spaeder.

“We are grateful to Judge Jones for taking on this role,” said Commissioner Goodell. “She will have our full cooperation as she hears and decides this appeal.”

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