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A judge has handed down a not guilty verdict for Mario Batali.
Both the prosecution and the defense rested Tuesday in celebrity chef Batali’s sexual misconduct trial in Boston Municipal Court, the decision was then left to the presiding judge.
The defense did not call any witnesses during their second day in court and Batali did not take the stand in his own defense, as previously anticipated.
CHEF MARIO BATALI’S ACCUSER TESTIFIES IN SEXUAL MISCONDUCT TRIAL
The trial began Monday with the former Food Network star waving his right to a jury trial, leaving the decision entirely up to the presiding judge. Counsel delivered closing arguments later Tuesday after which, the judge delivered the verdict. A verdict was expected as soon as Tuesday afternoon.
In delivering the verdict, Boston Municipal Court Judge James Stanton agreed with the contention that the accuser had credibility issues. Both the accuser and Batali left the courtroom without speaking to reporters.
Celebrity chef Mario Batali is seated at Boston Municipal Court on the second day of his sexual misconduct trial on Tuesday, May 10, 2022 in Boston. Batali pleaded not-guilty to a charge of indecent assault and battery in 2019, stemming from accusations that he forcibly kissed and groped a woman after taking a selfie with her at a Boston restaurant in 2017. (Stuart Cahill/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)
(Stuart Cahill/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)
Batali, 61, was previously accused of groping and kissing a woman at a Boston bar in the Back Bay area in 2017 while intoxicated. According to the 32-year-old software company worker, she was trying to take a selfie with the chef when the incident happened.
The woman testified the first day in court, recounting her initial shock. She explained her embarrassment after the incident until she heard other women sharing similar stories about Batali.
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Batali’s lawyer, Antony Fuller, argued to discredit the woman, saying she had financial motives to accuse Batali as she was currently seeking $50,000 in damages from the chef in a separate Boston-based civil lawsuit.
Batali faced up to two and a half years in prison if he was convicted and would have been forced to register as a sex offender. He is one of several high-profile men to be accused in the #MeToo movement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
