The case against Jonathan Majors is far from a slam dunk, legal experts say
- Jonathan Majors stands accused of assault and harassment in New York City.
- But so far, it seems prosecutors may struggle to get a conviction, legal experts say.
Prosecutors have their work cut out for them in the Marvel actor Jonathan Majors' assault trial, according to legal experts.
Former prosecutors and attorneys told Business Insider that at this point after four days of testimony from Majors' accuser, the case is far from a slam-dunk conviction.
Domestic violence cases, they said, are notoriously hard to prove because there could be limited evidence and limited witnesses.
The allegations against Jonathan Majors
Majors' domestic assault trial has been playing out in a Manhattan courtroom.
The "Creed III" actor's accuser and ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, finished testifying on Friday after four days on the witness stand where she broke down in tears multiple times and recounted the alleged March 25 attack by Majors in the back seat of a chauffeured car in New York City.
While on the stand, Jabbari, a dance instructor from the UK who met Majors in 2021 on the set of Marvel's "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," also testified about Majors' alleged explosive and controlling behavior.
Jabbari says that the assault unfolded after she spotted a text message on Majors' phone from another woman and snatched the device from his hand for a closer look.
Majors flipped out, Jabbari testified, twisting her arm behind her back to get the phone back and hitting her in the back of the head so hard that she bled behind her right ear.
Majors, 34, faces four charges of misdemeanor assault and harassment in connection to the alleged assault incident and has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He has said he's innocent and accused Jabbari of being violent toward him.
His defense attorneys claim Jabbari scratched his face and ripped his jacket, while prosecutors allege Majors broke Jabbari's finger during the incident.
No video footage exists of the alleged assault, but the jury in the trial has been shown surveillance footage that prosecutors say shows Majors picking up Jabbari and throwing her "like a football" back into the car after the alleged incident.
The jury has also seen photos of Jabbari's swollen finger and bloodied head, but Majors' defense team has suggested that Jabbari's wounds could have been from a fall after she returned to her apartment that night after partying until past 3 a.m.
A challenge for prosecutors
Neama Rahmani, an attorney and former federal prosecutor, told Business Insider, "It's hard to get a unanimous jury to convict unless you have something more" than the testimony of one accuser.
"It can be challenging. These cases are tough without some sort of corroborating evidence," said Rahmani, the president of West Coast Trial Lawyers who has prosecuted many domestic violence cases. "I'm not saying the prosecution can't get there, but it's certainly far from a slam dunk."
Mark Bederow, a criminal defense attorney and former Manhattan prosecutor, echoed those remarks, saying "it's never ideal" to have a case rely so heavily on one witness.
"You can find someone guilty on one witness and a judge can even instruct a jury that one witness is enough, but it's never ideal," Bederow said.
Both Bederow and Rahmani said that they could potentially see the case resulting in a hung jury or an acquittal unless additional evidence comes into play as the trial continues.
The judge overseeing the Majors trial said during jury selection that jurors can convict on the basis of one witness.
Meanwhile, the driver of the chauffeured car in which the alleged assault occurred is expected to testify in the trial, but he's not expected to testify that he saw the fight, according to Majors' attorney, Priya Chaudhry.
Majors' defense team has said the driver described Jabbari as a "psycho girl."
Why domestic violence cases are difficult to prove
"Domestic violence cases are tough to prove because the violence usually happens behind closed doors and the evidence is usually a 'he said, she said' situation," Rahmani said in an interview.
Rahmani explained: "Independent witnesses or contemporaneous reports to law enforcement and medical personnel are helpful in these cases, especially if the relationship is over and the abuser is arguing that the victim is just a disgruntled ex."
Victims' rights attorney Michelle Simpson Tuegel told Business Insider that domestic violence cases "can be complex as communications between the victim and abuser are often difficult for both judges and juries to interpret."
"However, physical injuries, statements, other corroborating witnesses, or prior situations between the two parties where similar conduct occurred can help lend strength to the evidence and support the victim's allegations," she said.