Smokey Robinson scored a legal victory in his ongoing court battle with four anonymous women who have accused him of sexual misconduct.
A judge has ordered the Jane Doe plaintiffs to turn over their cell phones within 10 days after Robinson raised concerns that the women were deleting information relevant to the case.
Robinson told the court he believed the accusers had not complied with discovery requests for phone data and said they had been avoiding his efforts to obtain records. He asked a judge this week to require the devices to be surrendered.
The order was issued on Friday.
The women have sued Robinson for sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, and gender violence. They claim they previously worked as housekeepers for Robinson and his wife, Frances Gladney Robinson. Robinson has denied the allegations and said in a September interview that he considered the claims to be false.
Robinson’s attorney Christopher Frost said in a statement to TMZ that he was pleased with the ruling, arguing that the plaintiffs were withholding information. He said access to the phones would help clarify communications between the parties and provide what he described as a more accurate account of events.