Prince Andrew seeks jury trial in Virginia Giuffre case

Britain's Prince Andrew wants a trial by jury.

The British Royal Wednesday responded to a lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre accusing Andrew of sexually abusing her more than two decades ago when she was 17, and being trafficked by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.

In a filing with the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Andrew denied Giuffre's claim that he "committed sexual assault and battery" upon her…

And asked for a U.S. jury to hear the case.

Andrew's ties to Epstein, who killed himself in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex abuse charges, have undermined his reputation with the public and standing in Britain's Royal Family.

Earlier this month, the family removed Andrew's military links and military patronages, and said the second son of Queen Elizabeth would no longer be known as "His Royal Highness."

The prince's lawyers had previously called Giuffre's lawsuit "baseless" and accused her of seeking another payday after Giuffre received $500,000 in a 2009 civil settlement with Epstein.

U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan has said a trial could begin between September and December 2022.