Cuba Gooding Jr.’s Motion To Dismiss Sexual Abuse Case Denied By Judge, His Lawyer Starts #NotMe Movement

Cuba Gooding Jr. 

Cuba Gooding Jr.’s Motion To Dismiss Sexual Abuse Case Denied By Judge, His Lawyer Starts #NotMe Movement

The case against Cuba Gooding, Jr. is moving forward. The actor has been charged with misdemeanors of forcible touching and sexual abuse in the third degree. And earlier this week, New York City Judge Phyllis Chu denied his motion to dismiss the case against him and scheduled his trial for Sept. 3. In June, Gooding was accused of,

“plac[ing] his hand on the breast of the complainant and squeez[ing].”

In his motion to dismiss, Gooding argued that the alleged victim

“has various mental health issues”

and that

“his character and history weigh in favor of dismissal.”

He also claimed,

“law enforcement committed serious misconduct”

While he also provided statements from two witnesses and an affidavit from a retired police officer on false reports in sexual assault cases, court documents state that Gooding failed to,

 “set forth compelling factors to warrant dismissal in the interest of justice.”

The judge added that there are

“conflicting factual allegations between the criminal court information and the defendant’s motion [that] should be resolved at trial.”

Cuba Gooding, Jr.

After the dismissal, Gooding’s lawyer Mark Heller, launched the #NotMe hashtag on Twitter.

He said,

“After fifty years of defending innocent, falsely accused and unfairly prosecuted defendants, I am igniting the ‘Not Me Movement’ (#NotMe). I am totally confident that when a jury of Cuba Gooding, Jr.’s peers assess all of the exculpatory evidence in this case, that he will be totally exonerated. His case will be a hallmark example for the #NotMe Movement.”

The movement is after the wave of the #MeToo initiative, where prominent actresses in Hollywood called out powerful men for sexual harassment and abuse. Meanwhile, Gooding’s other lawyer Peter Toumbekis said Gooding,

“is very respectful of the process and we are going to follow the protocol of the process. He’s comfortable to have faith and trust in the process. He is holding up OK. He’s a man of faith and he also has a great faith in [how] the system works. His background has always been one to support the troops, law enforcement, and he will respect this process.”

What do you think of the #NotMe movement? Tell us in the comments!