A US judge appears skeptical of a bid by Britain’s Prince Andrew to dismiss Virginia Giuffre’s lawsuit

US. District Judge Lewis Kaplan is assessing a 2009 settlement agreement in Florida between Epstein and Giuffre.

The 61-year-old prince’s lawyers believe the agreement shields Prince Andrew from the claims made by the 38-year-old Giuffre.

The agreement includes a general release that will “forever discharge” various people who “could have been included as a potential defendant”.

Andrew has denied Giuffre’s accusations that he forced her to have sex more than two decades ago.

The prince’s Los Angeles-based lawyer Andrew Brettler says Queen Elizabeth’s second son is shielded from Giuffre’s claims because she settled in a civil lawsuit.

“‘Potential defendant’ is someone who could have been named a defendant in that lawsuit, but was not,” Brettler said.

But the judge says the key issue is what Giuffre and Epstein intended.

“I understand your point of view. I understand the other point of view.”

Judge Lewis Kaplan

The judge says he will give a decision on the case “pretty soon” but declined to say exactly when.