Hollywood star Cuba Gooding Jr. will not serve any prison time for forcibly touching a woman thanks to a plea deal. The famous actor was accused of touching the breasts of a woman named Kelsey Herbert without her consent while at a rooftop bar in New York in 2018. Gooding reportedly fulfilled the terms of his plea deal, which allowed him to avoid jail time.
Herbert expressed his dismay at the news, saying Gooding deserved a harsher sentence. Her lawyer also called the confession an insult to Herbert and all the other women who have accused the actress. Gooding apologized to the court for his actions when he pleaded guilty to the charges at an April hearing.
The actor has also been accused of groping by two other women and raping a woman twice in 2013. The women who accused him of raping are suing Gooding on felony counts of violence and demanding a trial by jury and unspecified damages.
Read on to learn more.
Try Gooding Jr. Taking a Plea Agreement
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Gooding had avoided prison time by pleading guilty to one count of forcibly touching a woman in a New York City bar in 2018. According to a CNN reports, deputy Manhattan District Attorney Emily Tuttle said Gooding had met all the terms of his plea agreement, allowing him to avoid prison time.
The report, covered by Many people, also noted that Gooding pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges in April. The agreement detailed that he agree to undergo counseling for six months and avoid any arrest. It also allowed him to plead guilty to a lesser charge of harassment than a misdemeanor. On Thursday, the actor filed a guilty plea.
The agreement states that the harassment charge will remain on Gooding’s record while the felony charge will be expunged. In a statement to Many people, Gooding’s lawyer, Peter Toumbekis, said, “Two of the three cases were dismissed outright. Gooding accepted a plea of infraction for the third case which was not a crime and therefore, did not result in any criminal record. I hope and believe that everyone involved can move forward.”
Kelsey Herbert Expresses Her Disappointment
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Herbert, the woman who accused Gooding of groping her, expressed her dismay at the development. follow Associated Press, he said, “This plea deal feels like a misstep. After three long years of trying to hold Mr. Gooding accountable for touching my breasts without my consent, to have my day in court taken away from me is more disappointing than words can express.”
His attorney, Gloria Allred, shared her disappointment, calling the plea deal an “insult” to Herbert and all the women who accused Gooding of harassment. He also said it was a “prosecution gift to a celebrity who did not deserve such a verdict.”
Try Gooding Jr. Meet the Terms of the Agreement
Instagram/Cuba Gooding Jr.
According to Associated Press report, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Coleen Balbert also confirmed to the judge that Gooding’s therapist had produced “positive reports for the last six months” of the actor’s therapy. Gooding has also agreed to continue therapy sessions beyond the required six-month period.
follow The New York Times, when Gooding pleaded guilty to the charge in April, he apologized to the entire courtroom for “ever making anyone feel inappropriately touched.” However, there are two more groping charges to face for the “Men of Honor” actor and another woman accused him of raping her in her hotel room.
Actor Accused of Rape
Instagram/Cuba Gooding Jr.
follow Diversity, Gooding was also accused of raping a woman twice. The unidentified woman claims that in 2013, Gooding invited her to his New York City hotel room, where he stripped her, barricaded the door, and raped her twice. Mark Heller, another lawyer for the actress, denied the rape allegations in a statement to Many people.
He said, “The allegations against Cuba Gooding Jr. is false and lying. There was absolutely no criminal conduct as alleged. We expect the case to be dismissed. It was an incident that allegedly happened more than seven years ago with no criminal complaint at the time.”
The woman has filed a civil suit against Gooding for alleged “crimes of violence.” He claims he committed the crime based on his gender and wants a trial by jury. The woman is also seeking an award of an unspecified amount of punitive and compensatory damages against Gooding.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
