Kevin Spacey has formally submitted to court his intention to plead not guilty to the sexual assault of a 18-year-old boy in an affidavit obtained by the Boston Globe.
[jwplayer WEfnNVNF]
Spacey is charged with the assault of the son of Boston TV news anchor Heather Unruh in a Nantucket bar in 2016, when he stuck his hand down the pants of the then-18-year-old.
In the affidavit, Spacey also requested he not have to appear in court, but his request was denied by Judge Thomas Barrett, after prosecutors including Massachusetts Assistant District Attorney Michael K. Giardino maintained that it is state rules for Spacey to appear in person for a criminal arraignment. Spacey’s request to be represented by his LA attorney, Alan Jackson, was approved.
I am requesting that this court excuse my physical presence at the arraignment as I reside out-of-state and believe that my presence will amplify the negative publicity already generated in connection with this case… I wish to enter a plea of not guilty.
Spacey’s Boston lawyer, Juliane Balliro, filed a motion pushing the fact that there’s a high level of media interest in the Spacey case, which could prejudice a potential jury.
This matter has already generated extraordinary interest from national and local print and television media outlets. The Defendant’s attendance at the arraignment will only serve to heighten prejudicial media interest in the case and will increase the risk of contamination of the pool of jurors available for the trial.
The sexual assault charge is not the first accusation of sexual misconduct levelled at Spacey – in 2017 actor Anthony Rapp claimed Spacey preyed on him at a party in New York when Rapp was just 14. An investigation last year into the Old Vic theatre in London, where Spacey was Artistic Director for over ten years, uncovered at least 20 allegations of “inappropriate behaviour” by Spacey. Last year a massage therapist also alleged that the actor grabbed his genitals before offering to go down on him.
Let us not forget the balls crazy video Spacey posted at Christmastime as his House of Cards character, Frank Underwood, seemingly defending himself against the claims.
Of course, some believed everything and have just been waiting with bated breath to hear me confess it all. They’re just dying to have me declare that everything said is true and that I got what I deserve.
Wouldn’t that be easy? If it was all so simple? Only you and I both know it’s never that simple — not in politics and not in life. But you wouldn’t believe the worst without evidence would you? You wouldn’t rush to judgement without facts, would you? Did you? No, not you, you’re smarter than that.
Let Me Be Frank https://t.co/OzVGsX6Xbz
— Kevin Spacey (@KevinSpacey) December 24, 2018
Spacey is due to report in court on January 7 in Nantucket, Massachusetts.
