Thread by @chrisshipitv

Breaking news from New York: Prince Andrew WILL face a civil sex case trial.
US judge - Lewis Kaplan - dismissed a motion by Prince Andrew's legal team to have the lawsuit thrown out in a legal technicality.
It now moves to the next stage
#princeandrew

Prince Andrew had tried to have the case thrown out saying he was covered by the settlement his accuser Virginia Giuffre signed with Jeffrey Epstein in 2009.
However, lawsuit moves to next stage: usually deposition.
The alternatives for Prince Andrew are to settle or default.

Judge Lewis A Kaplan in New York denies defendant’s (Prince Andrew) motion to dismiss the lawsuit “in all respects” 👇
Image: @KlasfeldReports

Prince Andrew’ legal team has one more attempt to dismiss the lawsuit: they will argue that the federal court cannot proceed with this case because neither the Prince nor @VRSVirginia currently live in the USA.
(He is 🇬🇧 • She is 🇦🇺)

The next step in this lawsuit would ordinarily be deposition: and that would require Prince Andrew to sit in for an interview under oath with questioning from Virginia Giuffre’s attorney, David Boies.
#PrinceAndrew

Prince Andrew one step closer to trail.
**Full story 👇 on our website following the decision by a judge in New York, in the last hour.
itv.com/news/2022-01-1…

Despite all the reports that Prince Andrew's case is heading for a trial (which is correct) - it is worth noting this fact I just found about how many lawsuits in the USA end up in a trial:
"As many as 97 percent of civil cases that are filed are resolved other than by a trial".

WATCH: So what happens now the Judge denied Prince’s Andrew’s motion to dismiss the case?
Former prosecutor @MitchellEpner told us it moves to “discovery” including a “court-ordered interview” where Andrew will be questioned for “up to seven hours” by Virginia Giuffre’s lawyer

@MitchellEpner Those close to Prince Andrew told @ITVNews that he is determined to fight “to clear his name”.
However-while a decision to settle remains on the table, it is “not an option being considered at the moment.”
Andrew denies Giuffre's claims and says he never recalls even meeting her.

Judge Kaplan denies Prince Andrew’s motion to dismiss saying the Prince is NOT covered by Virginia Giuffre’s $500k settlement with Jeffrey Epstein.
It does not demonstrate ‘that the parties intended the instrument “directly” or “substantially” to benefit Prince Andrew’.

As for Prince Andrew’s claim that his accuser was not clear in her allegations against him, the judge said: ‘Ms Giuffre’s complaint is neither “unintelligible” nor “vague” nor “ambiguous”. It alleges alleges discrete incidents of sexual abuse…at three identifiable locations.’

Reaction from Virginia Giuffre’s legal team: She is “pleased that Prince Andrew’s motion to dismiss has been denied, and that evidence will now be taken concerning her claims against him. She looks forward to a judicial determination of the merits of those claims.”
#PrinceAndrew

Sigrid McCawley, who is on @VRSVirginia’s legal team, added:
“Today’s decision…denying Prince Andrew’s effort to dismiss Virginia Giuffre’s case against him is another important step in Virginia‘s heroic and determined pursuit of justice as a survivor of sex trafficking.”