Jonathan Majors will stand trial after a New York judge denied the motion to dismiss the domestic abuse case against him.
The trial date is set for Nov. 29.
via Variety:
Majors on Wednesday morning appeared in a lower Manhattan courtroom via Zoom, as Michael Gaffey relayed he is out of state. His defense attorneys filed a motion to request that “contested evidence” remain under seal and barred from public view.
Due to to “high profile” nature of the case and allegations against Majors, his defense attorney Seth Zuckerman told the judge that “the disclosure of sensitive information will limit Mr. Majors’ right to a fair trial.” The judge did not yet rule on the motion and told reporters in the room they could submit papers in opposition by Nov. 6.
The Marvel actor was arrested in Manhattan on March 25 and charged with assault and aggravated harassment after an alleged domestic dispute with his girlfriend at the time, Grace Jabbari. Majors has pleaded not guilty to the four charges leveled against him. If convicted of misdemeanor charges of harassment and assault, he faces up to one year in jail.
Prior to Wednesday’s hearing, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office filed a 115-page response to the actor’s motion to dismiss the case. The document alleges that Majors’ legal team has leaked and misrepresented court evidence, as well as attempted to have police create a wanted poster with Jabbari’s photo.
At the time of arrest, Jabbari told officers that she was assaulted and taken to the hospital with “minor injuries to her head and neck” after an alleged altercation in a taxi. Defense attorneys for Majors allege it was Jabbari who assaulted Majors, and “not the other way around.” His team also suggested that “racial bias” has played a role in the investigation and called the case a “witch hunt” against the Emmy-nominated actor.
Majors’ criminal defense lawyer Priya Chaudhry alleges to have evidence that clears Majors of any wrongdoing, including surveillance video that shows Jabbari “completely unharmed” after the defendant’s alleged assault. But the prosecution’s recent filing counters this assertion, saying the “surveillance video referred to by the defense actually shows Ms. Jabbari visibly upset, crying, and seeking help from strangers to get an Uber cab home.”
In April, Jabbari was granted a temporary order of protection, which means the two parties cannot have any direct or third-party contact. The order remains in place.
As his court date neared, additional alleged victims of Majors came forward and cooperated with the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
We’ll see how it all plays out.
