In 2021, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York allowed Virginia Giuffre’s civil lawsuit against Prince Andrew to proceed, rejecting the Duke’s attempts to have the case dismissed. Andrew’s legal team had argued that Giuffre’s 2009 settlement agreement with Jeffrey Epstein protected him from liability, but Kaplan ruled that the document’s language was too vague to guarantee immunity for the prince. The judge also rejected efforts by Andrew’s attorneys to delay proceedings or challenge jurisdiction, stating that service had been properly carried out and that the court had the authority to move forward.

Throughout the pretrial stages, Judge Kaplan issued several pointed warnings to Andrew’s legal team, cautioning them against what he saw as stalling and procedural gamesmanship. At one point, he rebuked their reliance on “technical arguments” instead of addressing the substantive claims, making it clear he would not tolerate obstruction. His firm handling of the case underscored that no one, royal or otherwise, was above the law. Ultimately, the case never went to trial—Prince Andrew settled with Giuffre in early 2022—but Kaplan’s rulings were pivotal in ensuring that the lawsuit could not be quietly swept aside.


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