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Three days after Kevin Spaceys lawyers moved to have him excused from appearing in court to face allegations of groping a teenage busboy, the judge in the case has made a ruling: Show up.
Thats the decision made today by Nantucket District Court Judge Thomas Barrett, meaning that the disgraced actor will be present for his January 7 arraignment on the felony sexual assault charge. Prosecutors had opposed the motion, citing Massachusetts state rules of procedure for criminal cases.
Court documents show that Spaceys attorney, Juliane Balliro, had argued that her clients his presence in court would “heighten prejudicial media interest in the case” and increase the risk of contaminating the jury pool. The judge disagreed.
Spacey, who was fired as star of Netflixs House of Cards in November 2017 amid multiple allegations, stands accused of groping an 18-year-old man at a Nantucket restaurant in 2016. It was the charge he challenged in a bizarre video monologue that has garnered nearly 9 million views on YouTube since it was posted on Christmas Eve.
Titled “Let Me Be Frank,” it shows the actor in character as HoCs Frank Underwood, donning a holiday apron and delivering such lines as: “I told you my deepest, darkest secrets. I showed you exactly what people are capable of. I shocked you with my honesty. But most of all, I challenged you and made you think. And you trusted me, even though you know you shouldnt.”
Season 6 of the Spacey-less House of Cards premiered November 2, with Robin Wrights Claire Underwood as the sole lead.
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