The latest hearing in the case between Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew was a “horrible day” for the duke, legal and royal experts have said.
The judge overseeing Prince Andrew’s bid to dismiss a lawsuit from Virginia Giuffre promised to hand down a ruling “pretty soon” after a heated hearing on Tuesday.
Mitchell Epner, a US former federal prosecutor said the case would not be dismissed following the court hearing led by Judge Lewis Kaplan and insisted that the Duke must settle, default or go to court.
BBC’s royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said the Duke is in a “difficult situation.”
Lisa Bloom, a US trial lawyer who formerly advised disgraced sex offender, Harvey Weinstein said the hearing was looking “very good” for Ms Giuffre’s case.
“Andrew wants her [Ms Giuffre] case thrown out on technical grounds. Judge Kaplan aggressively questioned defense on this and appeared unwilling to do it. I’m optimistic that Virginia will get her day in court,” Ms Bloom wrote on Twitter.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Prince Andrew’s lawyers argued the 2009 agreement signed by Epstein and Ms Giuffre protects the Duke of York and should be grounds for dismissing her current suit against him.
