Royal Family News: Defendant Prince Andrew Demands A Jury In His Sexual Assault Lawsuit Trial

British royal family news shows that Prince Andrew’s lawyer, Andrew Brettler, has asked for a jury trial when the royal goes to court in the US this fall. He has been accused by Virginia Roberts Giuffre of sexual abuse, allegations he denies.

Royal Family News – Prince Andrew Wants A Jury Trial

Andrew, the Duke of York, had tried to get the case thrown out on a legal technicality at the beginning of January. That motion was denied and now it appears Andrew is prepared to take the stand in New York to argue his innocence.

Last summer Giuffre filed a civil suit against Andrew, formally accusing him of sexual abuse on three occasions when she was a minor. She claims that she was a sex trafficking victim of Andrew’s friends, the dead convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and recently convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.

According to the Daily Mail, documents filed by Giuffre reveal that, “the Duke of York ‘committed sexual assault and battery’ against her while she was aged just 17, requesting that a judge award ‘punitive damages’ for the ‘physical and psychological’ injuries she suffered.”

Meanwhile, documents filed by the Duke of York reveal he denies being, “’close friends’ with socialite and Epstein’s partner in crime Ghislaine Maxwell, who was last month found guilty of five counts of child sex trafficking and faces up to 65 years in prison.”

Prince Andrew Denies The Charges Against Him

Andrew’s lawyer had, “submitted 11 reasons why the case should be dismissed, including that Giuffre’s claims are ‘barred by the doctrine of consent’ and by ‘her own wrongful conduct.” The judge disagreed with Andrew’s motion which also claimed that the suit should be dismissed, “because Giuffre is a permanent resident of Australia and that by entering into the 2009 agreement with Jeffrey Epstein she ‘waived the claims now asserted in the complaint.’”

Royal Family News – Andrew’s Suit Will Proceed

Elsewhere, Giuffre’s lawyer David Boies, has said that he and his client anticipate, “confronting” Andrew: “Prince Andrew’s Answer continues his approach of denying any knowledge or information concerning the claims against him, and purporting to blame the victim of the abuse for somehow bringing it on herself. We look forward to confronting Prince Andrew with his denials and attempts to blame Ms Giuffre for her own abuse at his deposition and at trial.”

Giuffre legal team has said that she was, “on call for Epstein for sexual purposes” and, “lent out to other powerful men,” including Andrew. Now it appears a jury will decide the merits of the case.

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