NY Judge Rules Jonathan Majors Must Stand Trial For Domestic Violence; Defense Files New Motion To Shield Some Evidence From Public

A New York judge has ruled that actor Jonathan Majors must face trial on domestic abuse charges.

In a hearing Wednesday, New York Supreme Court Judge Michael Gaffey denied a defense motion to dismiss the case and set a start date of November 29 for the trial.

Gaffey also revealed that the defense has filed a new motion under seal that seeks to keep details related to an undisclosed “evidentiary matter” shielded from public view.

Defense attorney Seth Zuckerman, asked by Gaffey if there was any alternative to the secretive route, said the defense team had considered other ways, but “the answer is simply ‘no.'” Due to the “high profile of the case,” he continued, not shielding that aspect of the case would lead to such intense media scrutiny that it would compromise his client’s right to a fair trial.

Gaffey did not immediately rule on the latest defense motion, and prosecutors remained neutral on it. The judge and noted that media outlets and the public would be able to register any objections to the defense effort through November 6. While the right to a fair trial is enshrined in the Constitution, Gaffey said, “the right to access is not absolute.”

Majors is facing misdemeanor charges stemming from an incident in and around the actor’s Chelsea apartment on March 25. He faces up to a year in jail if convicted. Although Majors was the one who called 911 at the time, NYPD officers on the scene found a number of marks, “a laceration” and a finger fracture on now-ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari and arrested Majors. He was released within hours after a hearing in front of a judge and has pleaded not guilty.

Majors appeared virtually during Wednesday’s hearing because he is outside of New York state. The actor answered “yes, sir” multiple times in response to procedural questions from the judge.

After the hearing, a spokesperson for the D.A.’s office said in a brief statement furnished to Deadline, “We look forward to presenting our case at trial.”

The news of a trial going forward comes a day after damning accusations against Majors surfaced from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, who said UK police are now a part of their prosecution.

Details of the London Metropolitan Police report from over a year ago are unknown, though Majors did spend time in London last year during production of the Marvel series Loki. A recent filing by the D.A. maintained that “medical records from the United Kingdom, photographs taken by medical providers, and correspondence with [a] medical provider” related to a September 2022 incident are among the new evidence prosecutors acquired.

Dominic Patten contributed to this report.