Jonathan Majors' motion to dismiss assault, harassment conviction rejected by judge

A judge has denied Jonathan Majors' motion to dismiss his conviction on assault and harassment charges for attacking his then-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, in the back of a car last March.

Judge Michael Gaffey's decision was filed Monday, according to a court document obtained by USA TODAY Wednesday.

The Marvel star is set to be sentenced next Monday.

"Jonathan feels disappointed by the outcome of the motion, yet he upholds respect for the process. He continues to draw strength from his friends, fans, family, and dogs, harnessing his art and creativity," his defense lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, said in a statement shared with USA TODAY Wednesday.

The statement continued, "As he eagerly anticipates closing this chapter, he looks forward to redirecting his time and energy fully toward his family and his art."

The defense filed a motion on Feb. 5 to set aside the Dec. 18 verdict, which convicted Majors of reckless assault in the third degree and harassment in the second degree. The judge reviewed the motion, as well as prosecutors' filing opposing the move and Majors' attorneys' response, before denying the request.

According to the judge's order, Majors' lawyers argued "his conviction of reckless assault in the third degree should be set aside because the court erred in submitting the count to the jury." Gaffey disagreed on the grounds that the reckless assault charge was presented as an "alternate theory to the intentional assault count."

Gaffey also wrote that Majors' team said in its motion that evidence presented at trial was not "legally sufficient to establish Defendant's guilt of harassment in the second degree." The judge disagreed.

"A person is guilty of harassment in the second degree when, with intent to harass, annoy or alarm another person, he 'strikes, shoves, kicks or otherwise subjects another person to physical contact, or attempts or threatens to do the same," Gaffey's order reads.

However, evidence shown during the trial – including surveillance video of the altercation outside the car – "clearly established that Defendant subjected Ms. Jabbari to physical contact, and the jury reasonably could have inferred his intent from the conduct and surrounding circumstances," Gaffey wrote.

What happened during Jonathan Majors' 2023 trial

In December, a six-person jury found the "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" actor guilty of one misdemeanor assault charge and one harassment violation. He was acquitted of the intentional assault and aggravated harassment charges.

During his two-week trial, the actor faced eight misdemeanor counts. He pleaded not guilty to all charges, and his attorneys argued Jabbari was the aggressor in the March 2023 incident.

What happened during the trial? Developments from Jonathan Majors' case

Majors was arrested in New York on March 25, 2023, after Jabbari – a dancer and movement coach – called police, alleging he struck her with an open hand, which caused a cut behind her ear, and bruised her neck.

During the trial, she testified she suffered from a broken finger and laceration after Majors attempted to pry a phone out of her fingers, yanked her arm and twisted it behind her back before striking her. Jabari also said Majors tried to push her back in the car after they got out, which was corroborated by surveillance video shown by prosecutors.

Following his conviction, Chaudhry said Majors "looks forward to fully clearing his name."

"It is clear that the jury did not believe Grace Jabbari’s story of what happened in the SUV because they found that Mr. Majors did not intentionally cause any injuries to her. We are grateful for that," Chaudhry said in a statement to USA TODAY in December.

She continued, "We are disappointed, however, that despite not believing Ms. Jabbari, the jury nevertheless found that Mr. Majors was somehow reckless while she was attacking him."

After the verdict was announced last December, the entertainment industry cut ties with the actor.

A person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to USA TODAY that Marvel Studios dropped Majors – who was set to star in the 2026 release "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty" – from all upcoming projects.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jonathan Majors' motion to dismiss his assault conviction is rejected