Prince Andrew’s effort to toss sex assault suit hits roadblock
- The judge did not immediately rule, but rejected an argument that accuser Virginia Giuffre’s US$500,000 deal with Jeffrey Epstein protected the British royal
- Giuffre has alleged that the prince sexually assaulted her multiple times in 2001 after she was introduced to him by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
A judge was mostly dismissive on Tuesday of oral arguments by a lawyer for Prince Andrew who wants to win a fast dismissal of a lawsuit alleging that the prince sexually assaulted an American woman when she was 17.
US District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan did not immediately rule at the end of a video conference, but he made it clear that he was not leaning Andrew’s way as he rejected much of the reasoning offered by the prince’s lawyer, Andrew Brettler, who said the case “should absolutely be dismissed”.
“I appreciate the arguments and the passion. You’ll have the decision pretty soon,” Kaplan told lawyers.
The judge directed that the exchange of potential evidence in the case was to proceed as scheduled.
The oral arguments followed written submissions made weeks ago in the case brought by Virginia Giuffre, a woman who alleged in her August lawsuit that the prince sexually assaulted her multiple times in 2001 after she was introduced to him by financier Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.