BOSTON (AP) – Mario Battali was found not guilty of indecent assault and beating on Tuesday after a speedy trial in which the famous chef waived his right to a jury to decide his fate.
The 61-year-old former Food Network spokesman quickly walked out of the courtroom with his lawyers, without commenting on the case, which focused on allegations that he aggressively kissed and touched a Boston woman while taking selfies at a bar in 2017.
In sentencing, Boston Municipal Court Judge James Stanton agreed with Batali’s lawyers that the prosecutor had problems with credibility and that the photos suggested that the meeting was friendly.
“Photos cost a thousand words,” he said.
But the judge also spoke harshly about the former star of shows such as “Molto Mario” and “Iron Chef America”, whom prosecutors say is visibly drunk in the photos.
“The defendant did not cover himself with fame that night,” Stanton said. “His demeanor, appearance and demeanor did not suit a public figure of his stature at the time.”
Suffolk County Attorney Kevin Hayden said he was disappointed with the verdict, but a grateful Batali prosecutor appeared.
“It can be incredibly difficult for a victim to detect sexual abuse,” he said in a statement. “When the person who committed such a heinous act is in a position of authority or celebrity, the decision to report an attack can become even more challenging and frightening.”
Batali, who pleaded not guilty to indecent assault and beating in 2019, faced 2 1/2 years in prison and would be required to register as a sex offender if convicted.
His prosecutor, who also left the courtroom without speaking to reporters, testified that she felt confused and powerless to do anything to stop Batali at the time.
But in her closing remarks, Batali’s attorney, Anthony Fuller, described the 32-year-old Boston resident as a “recognized liar” who was financially motivated because she filed a lawsuit seeking more than $ 50,000 in damages from Batali.
“In her world, truth is a flexible concept,” he said, referring to the woman’s recent admission that she tried to avoid the jury service, claiming she was a clairvoyant who was at the center of the two-day trial.
Prosecutor Nina Bonelli countered in her closing remarks that Batali’s lawyers were trying to “demonize” the woman when she was their client, tried for his behavior.
She claims that it is “absolutely indisputable” from the photos that Batali was drunk. What is not shown, she said, is what is happening outside the camera, as he also grabbed the prosecutor’s private areas.
Bonelli added that the woman tried to “de-escalate” the unwanted touch by simply “smiling”.
“The kiss, the touch. She never asked for it. She never agreed to that, “she said. “She just wanted a selfie.”
Batali is among a number of high-ranking men who have faced public scrutiny during the #MeToo movement against sexual violence and harassment in recent years.
After four women accused him of inappropriate touching in 2017, he retired from day-to-day operations in his restaurant empire and left ABC’s then-closed cooking show, The Chew.
Batali also apologized, acknowledging that the allegations “coincided” with the way he acted.
“I made a lot of mistakes,” he said in an email newsletter at the time. “My behavior was wrong and there are no excuses. I take full responsibility. “
Last year, Batali, his business partner, and their New York restaurant company agreed to pay $ 600,000 to allow a four-year investigation by the New York Attorney General’s office into allegations that Batali and other employees sexually harassed employees.
In Boston, he had opened a branch of the popular Italian food market Eataly and the pizzeria Babbo e Enoteca in the port area of the city. But it has since been bought out of its stake in Eataly and the Babbo restaurant in Boston has been closed.
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