by Mike Andrew - SGN Staff Writer

Attorneys for Seattle Mayor Ed Murray asked a court to dismiss a lawsuit charging that he paid an underage boy for sex in the mid-1980s.

The suit, filed by local attorney Lincoln Beauregard on behalf of Delvonn Heckard, alleges that Murray paid for sex with Heckard up to 50 times, starting when Heckard was only 15 and therefore under the age of consent.

Murray aggressively denied the charges but eventually dropped out of his race for re-election on May 8.

In court documents filed May 24, Murray's attorneys, Malaika Eaton and Robert Sulkin, said that their client 'denies any inappropriate contact with the Plaintiff or any minor.'

They also argued that Heckard had failed to state a legitimate claim in the lawsuit and that the claims are barred by Washington's statute of limitations, meaning that even if true, the charges can't be litigated because the events took place too long ago.

Murray's attorneys then asked for the suit to be dismissed with prejudice, meaning it could not be refiled, and that the court award Murray his legal expenses.

In the filing, Murray's attorneys admit that Murray knew two other accusers - Jeff Simpson and Lloyd Anderson - but said the Mayor 'denies he engaged in any inappropriate conduct or inappropriate relationship' with them.

No mention was made of the fourth accuser, Maurice Lavon Jones, who claimed that Heckard introduced him to Murray when he was 15.

To date, only Heckard has filed a lawsuit against Murray. Simpson tried to file a suit, but his criminal history and the length of time elapsed since the alleged offenses caused his attorneys to back out of the case.

Both Simpson and Anderson have told their stories to local TV stations. Jones was in King County Jail when he gave a statement accusing Murray to Beauregard, but he was interviewed by the Seattle Times about his charges.

Even if the court dismisses the suit against Murray, the date for filing in the mayoral race has passed, and he can no longer run for re-election.

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