Alleged victim in Collins case speaks out through attorney

The attorney for a woman suing Kansas University basketball player Sherron Collins said his client showed “great courage in speaking the truth” from the day she said she was assaulted in a Jayhawker Towers elevator in May 2007.

James Wisler, the attorney for Jessica J. Brown, said Friday he was preparing a response to Collins’ motion to have a default judgment against him set aside. Earlier this week a Douglas County judge granted judgment in excess of $75,000 to Brown because Collins, 21, had not responded to the lawsuit filed May 14.

Brown, 35, who worked in the Jayhawker Towers, is married, has children and other family in Lawrence, Wisler said. He said she had their support as well as many in the community in dealing with the “trauma of the event.”

“Jessica Brown has never sought publicity. She only sought justice,” Wisler said. “The facts and the legal issues are too complicated to fully and accurately discuss in the media.”

Collins has not been charged with a crime and the alleged incident is still under investigation.

In the motion to set aside filed Wednesday by attorneys for Collins, the basketball star said he was unaware a previously hired attorney was no longer representing him, which was why he did not respond to the lawsuit.

Wisler said seeing Collins’ motion was the first time he had heard Collins thought he had an attorney representing him at the time he was presented with a summons in the case.

Collins’ previous attorney was not identified in court documents. Collins is now represented by attorneys Chris Burger and Brad Finkeldei of the Stevens & Brand law firm. They were unavailable or did not return phone and e-mail messages on Friday.