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| Cuba Gooding Jr. Facing New Charge as Groping Trial Is Delayed | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Prosecutors said on Thursday that a new charge had been filed against Cuba Gooding Jr., delaying his trial over accusations that he groped a woman’s breast in a Manhattan bar in June. | |
| The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said the actor had been indicted in connection with a second incident, but the office did not elaborate on what Mr. Gooding is accused of. A spokesman said the indictment would be unsealed next week. Mr. Gooding’s lawyers did not respond to requests for comment Thursday morning. | |
| Mr. Gooding appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday for what was supposed to be the beginning of the trial over the initial charges. Wearing a black suit with a white pocket square, he sat in the courtroom for several minutes before prosecutors asked Judge Marisol Martinez Alonso to delay the jury selection because of the new charges. | Mr. Gooding appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday for what was supposed to be the beginning of the trial over the initial charges. Wearing a black suit with a white pocket square, he sat in the courtroom for several minutes before prosecutors asked Judge Marisol Martinez Alonso to delay the jury selection because of the new charges. |
| Mr. Gooding, 51, was to stand trial over an encounter on the night of June 9 at Magic Hour Rooftop Bar, a pricey lounge at the Moxy NYC Times Square hotel in Manhattan. According to the criminal complaint, the accuser said that Mr. Gooding placed his hand on her breast without her consent and squeezed. | Mr. Gooding, 51, was to stand trial over an encounter on the night of June 9 at Magic Hour Rooftop Bar, a pricey lounge at the Moxy NYC Times Square hotel in Manhattan. According to the criminal complaint, the accuser said that Mr. Gooding placed his hand on her breast without her consent and squeezed. |
| Mr. Gooding, 51, voluntarily surrendered to the police in June and was charged with third-degree misdemeanor sexual abuse and forcible touching. The forcible touching charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail. | Mr. Gooding, 51, voluntarily surrendered to the police in June and was charged with third-degree misdemeanor sexual abuse and forcible touching. The forcible touching charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail. |
| Shortly after Mr. Gooding was arrested, TMZ published blurry surveillance footage it says captured what happened at the bar. | Shortly after Mr. Gooding was arrested, TMZ published blurry surveillance footage it says captured what happened at the bar. |
| Before the trial, the defense tried to get the charges dismissed, submitting testimony from two people who said they were present at the time of the incident and who said they did not see Mr. Gooding touch the woman. His lawyers also submitted testimony from a retired police officer described in court papers as an “expert in false reports in sexual assault cases.” That officer saw video of the incident and said he did not believe Mr. Gooding committed a crime, according to court documents. | Before the trial, the defense tried to get the charges dismissed, submitting testimony from two people who said they were present at the time of the incident and who said they did not see Mr. Gooding touch the woman. His lawyers also submitted testimony from a retired police officer described in court papers as an “expert in false reports in sexual assault cases.” That officer saw video of the incident and said he did not believe Mr. Gooding committed a crime, according to court documents. |
| According to those documents, Mr. Gooding also asserted that his accuser “is predisposed to make false allegations against the defendant.” | According to those documents, Mr. Gooding also asserted that his accuser “is predisposed to make false allegations against the defendant.” |
| But Judge Phyllis Chu did not find Mr. Gooding’s arguments for dismissal persuasive. | But Judge Phyllis Chu did not find Mr. Gooding’s arguments for dismissal persuasive. |
| “The conflicting factual allegations between the criminal court information and the defendant’s motion should be resolved at trial,” she wrote. | “The conflicting factual allegations between the criminal court information and the defendant’s motion should be resolved at trial,” she wrote. |
| At the time of Mr. Gooding’s arrest, the police said they were investigating a second groping allegation against him in connection with an episode that occurred several years ago. The police said the woman in that case came forward after seeing news reports about the June incident. It is unclear whether the new charge was related to this allegation. | |
| Mr. Gooding is scheduled to appear in court again on Tuesday. | Mr. Gooding is scheduled to appear in court again on Tuesday. |
| Part of Mr. Gooding’s defense, according to court documents, is that he has no criminal convictions and that he “rose from a starving artist in the Bronx to a highly regarded and successful actor.” | Part of Mr. Gooding’s defense, according to court documents, is that he has no criminal convictions and that he “rose from a starving artist in the Bronx to a highly regarded and successful actor.” |
| Mr. Gooding’s first major success was in the 1991 film “Boyz N the Hood,” and he won an Academy Award in 1997 for his supporting role in “Jerry Maguire.” In 2016, he played O.J. Simpson in the television series “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.” | Mr. Gooding’s first major success was in the 1991 film “Boyz N the Hood,” and he won an Academy Award in 1997 for his supporting role in “Jerry Maguire.” In 2016, he played O.J. Simpson in the television series “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.” |