Prince Andrew filed a legal response to Virginia Giuffre, he wants a trial by jury

Prince Andrew’s team of American lawyers had to file legal papers this week in response to Virginia Giuffre’s lawsuit moving forward. Two weeks ago, Judge Kaplan rejected Andrew’s motion to dismiss, and the judge also limited several of Andrew’s defense arguments, like the part about the agreement Virginia signed when she settled out of court with Jeffrey Epstein. Wednesday was – I believe – the deadline for Andrew to tell the court that sure, he’s ready to go to trial by jury. That’s what the legal papers said:

Prince Andrew’s legal team has filed legal papers in which the Royal denied all of Virginia Roberts’ sex abuse allegations as he prepares for a bitter court battle in the United States. The papers, filed today by Prince Andrew’s legal counsel Andrew Brettler, contained a detail rebuttal of all of Roberts’ claims and also requested that the Royal be granted a trial by jury.

The Duke of York’s official rebuttal comes after a motion to dismiss the case on a legal technicality at the beginning of January was denied, and could see Prince Andrew himself take the stand in New York to argue his case in front of jurors.

Over 15 pages of court documents filed at New York’s southern district court, Giuffre claimed 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. Prince Andrew has always vehemently denied all charges.

The Duke of York’s legal counsel set out the Royal’s official response to Giuffre’s allegations. It says he denies the allegation that he sexually abused Giuffre when she was under 18 years of age. The document, submitted to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, also sets out a series of defences ‘without assuming the burden of proof, and expressly denying any and all wrongdoing’.

This includes arguments that the claim 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’. The document concludes: ‘Prince Andrew hereby demands a trial by jury on all causes of action asserted in the Complaint.’

[From The Daily Mail]

I’m sure one view of this will be “Andrew has nothing left, he might as well fight the charges to the bitter end.” But mostly this is just Andrew saying “sure, let’s go to trial, see if I care” while his accountant furiously hides his assets and his lawyers beg Giuffre’s lawyers to take a low-ball settlement. Andrew can be actively “participating” in his court case and he can pursue a potential settlement with Virginia. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that Andrew’s legal team approached David Boies in the past two weeks and offered something like $3 million, with an NDA attached. And my guess is that Virginia was like “let’s tear this bitch apart!” Can’t wait for the depositions!

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.