Hollywood star Jonathan course the infamous assault trial has officially begun with opening statements from both sides. Majors is accused of being violent towards his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, during a confrontation in his car.
So far, Judge Michael Gaffey has made two rulings, allowing jurors to learn about Jabbari’s arrest and enforcing the evidence against Majors.
Majors’ attorney insisted that Jabbari was a trespasser and even filed a countersuit, but the DA declined to prosecute him. The assault case has severely affected Majors’ acting career since his arrest in March and cost him several potential roles and awards.
Opening Statements The Trial Has Begun
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On Monday, opening statements in the Majors actor’s criminal assault case officially began. The actor was charged with an alleged violent attack on his ex-girlfriend, Jabbari, during a heated argument. Opening statements began a week after jury selection, and a preliminary hearing was held last week.
A jury of six people and two alternates will hear about the extent of Major’s guilt from the prosecution and the defense. According to prosecutors, Jabbari and Majors were in a car last March when they began arguing about sexual texts the actor had received from another woman.
Jabbari allegedly grabbed the phone, which Majors took by allegedly pulling his fingers, twisting his arm behind his back, and punching him in the face several times. When the car stopped and the former couple got out, Jabbari’s attorney, Manhattan assistant District Attorney Michael Perez, alleged that Majors threw her back into the vehicle with force.
Perez pointed out that there was footage of Majors tossing Jabarri “like a football back into the Escalade.” He repeatedly stated that the Marvel star “hit, pushed and otherwise subjected Grace Jabbari to physical contact” with the intention of harassing her, adding that there was video evidence to support Jabbari’s claims.
Attorney Johnathan Majors Shares a Different Perspective on the Dispute
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In a not-so-surprising move, Majors’ lawyer Priya Chaudhry’s testimony about the matter was very different from that of the prosecutor. Chaudhry highlighted Jabbari’s night of partying after what he called a “second-long argument over text” with Majors.
He added that the alleged victims eventually returned home alone, while Majors returned to the hotel room and revealed the end of their relationship with Jabbari.
Chaudhry told jurors that prosecutors would try to distract them “with stories about months and years before the incident” and also bring up “things about Jonathan Majors that have nothing to do with what happened in the car.”
He pleaded with them to “end this nightmare for” Majors while talking about the actor’s struggle to make it in Hollywood and get to where he is in his acting career.
Jonathan Majors Accused of Manipulating Grace Jabbari
Jonathan Majors has arrived in court to open his statement in his misdemeanor assault trial, arm in arm with his mother and girlfriend Meagan Good. Jonathan’s sister and Meagan’s mother and some of the couple’s friends have filled the first two rows behind the defense. pic.twitter.com/W437QDzPTa
— Emily Palmer (@emilyepalmer) December 4, 2023
In his opening statement, Perez claimed that Jabbari’s reluctance to speak about what happened that fateful night was because of how “the defendant [Majors] had manipulated him in the past and trained him to keep quiet.” The attorney also stated that Majors’ presence during the police interview intimidated Jabbari.
The “Loki” actor’s lawyer, Chaudhry, later argued that evidence would reveal how Jabbari told police he didn’t know what happened to him and only decided to attribute his injuries to Majors after he was asked if the actor had caused them.
Chaudhry said, “He made this false statement to take away everything he had spent his whole life working for… This is a case about the end of a relationship, not about a crime — at least not one that Mr. Majors committed. This man is innocent.”
Like a few days ago, Majors arrived in court with his girlfriend, actress Meagan Good, for Monday’s hearing. He also came with his mother and other family members.
Key Rulings In Cases Before Opening Statements
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Last week, Judge Michael Gaffey, the presiding judge, made two important decisions on the second day of the trial. The first ruling allowed jurors to hear evidence that police also arrested Jabbari because of a violent assault between him and Majors.
He said, “This is a situation where I think it is information that should be presented to the jury. The jury has to hear that.” Gaffey has also allowed Jabbari to testify in the case because prosecutors claim the dancer is cooperating with his arrest and investigation.
The second decision from Gaffey was to enforce the seal on some of the sealed evidence against Majors. In imposing the seal, the judge said the testimony was “prejudicial and inflammatory” to the ongoing case. Sources claim Deadline that the evidence in question is information about previous incidents involving Majors in the US and the UK
The DA tried to use sealed evidence to highlight earlier incidents involving Major that might prove Jabbari’s case. They are trying to do this under the Molineux rule, which is a New York legal standard that allows allegations of prior, uncharged criminal conduct to be used in a new trial.
Attorney Jonathan Majors Says Grace Jabbari Was The Attacker
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Since his arrest, Majors’ attorney has maintained that Jabbari was the instigator and aggressor in the incident. They have also suggested that there was racial bias in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, implying that the prosecution was against Majors because he is Black.
In June, Priya Chaudhry, one of Majors’ lawyers, filed a countersuit against Jabbari, leading to a police investigation. However, the DA’s office quickly announced that it would not pursue these charges. Once the investigation began, Jabbari was reportedly very cooperative and even took himself into custody.
The DA’s office has since released a statement that it “officially declines to prosecute the case against Grace Jabbari because it lacks prosecution merit.” However, Judge Gaffey’s first ruling means that the jury will still be informed of his arrest.
Arrest Has Derailed Jonathan Majors’ Career
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The major assault arrest and trial has severely affected his acting career since the allegations became public. The arrest itself happened shortly after the release of “Creed III,” which was a big role that earned Majors popularity in the industry and on social media.
However, after the arrest, Majors lost both his management company, Entertainment 360, and his publicist, The Lede Company. He still held roles in major films such as “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and “Loki,” but the publicity for both films was significantly reduced.
Aside from the film project, Majors lost commercial deals, including one with the Texas Rangers MLB team. The actress also lost a potential Oscar nomination and campaign for her highly praised performance in “Magazine Dreams,” which is currently in limbo regarding a release date.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
