The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans lifted an injunction Thursday that blocked a six-game suspension for Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, clearing the way for a six-game suspension.
The judges voted 2-1 to grant the NFL's emergency request and ordered the U.S. Eastern District Court in Sherman, Texas to dismiss Elliott's case. Elliott is expected to now take his case to the Southern District of New York, which is viewed as a more favorable court for the NFL. The league won its Deflategate case against Tom Brady in that court.
A federal judge in Texas issued an injunction that blocked the suspension last month.
The NFL countered that it followed procedures under the league's labor deal and that the union improperly filed a lawsuit before the appeals process was complete.
This issue has been hanging over Elliott and the Cowboys' since July 2016 when a former girlfriend accused Elliott of domestic violence. The Columbus, Ohio city prosecutor's office cleared Elliott of any charges, citing misleading and inconsistent information from the accuser, Elliott's ex-girlfriend Tiffany Thompson.
But the NFL investigated it for 13 months and Commissioner Roger Goodell handed Elliott a six-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy on Aug. 11. Goodell said the league felt he had committed at least three domestic violence incidents against Thompson after its investigation.
