What lies in store for the actor for his misdemeanour?
Manhattan prosecutors spoke about Cuba Gooding Jr.’s groping case in court on Thursday, and reported that more women have stepped forward alleging that the actor had touched them inappropriately. There are now 30 women who are accusing the Oscar-winning actor.
https://www.instagram.com/p/By_PleRB-qy/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
The prosecution argued with the defense in whether defense attorneys have the authority to question a victim prior to the trial about statements she’s made before regarding her breast size and sexual preferences, among other testimonial factors.
The Victims
The charges against Gooding were for three counts of forcible touching and three counts of sex abuse to the third degree in separate incidents against three different women in New York. The actor pled not guilty against all the charges and denied all the actions.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CD3-_X8JVun/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Gooding came to court accompanied by his attorney Peter Toumbekis, who requested in court to be given authority to question people seen in a video during the time of Gooding’s alleged abuse. He stated that his client committed no crime at that time, and hence the case should be dismissed.
In one of these charges was a case regarding a waitress in a club who said that Gooding forcibly touched her in September 2018. Toumbekis sought for testimony from witnesses during the time, but the prosecutors argued that whether or not a staffer saw it, it doesn’t indicate one way or other that the victim would have reported it.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw76PsUlioA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Toumbekis argued next about doing background checks on the accusers, such as questioning one on her childhood abuse and the resulting trauma, and on another on her insecurities regarding her body. But this invited an argument from Assistant District Attorney Jenna Long who said this has nothing related to the accusations against Gooding.
The next hearing will be on September 1.
(Cover: CNN International)