Prince Andrew Seeks to Block Epstein Accuser’s Lawsuit

In the first hearing in the closely watched case, lawyers for the Duke of York argued that the lawsuit was baseless and legally dubious.

A lawyer for Prince Andrew, who was sued last month by a woman accusing him of sexually abusing her when she was a minor, said in a Manhattan court on Monday that the lawsuit was likely to be invalid under the terms of an earlier confidential settlement — one that the prince’s lawyers have said the woman reached with Jeffrey Epstein. The hearing, coming in the closely watched lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre, one of Mr. Epstein’s most prominent accusers, was the first public response from Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, and suggests that his legal team will seek to beat back any attempt to allow the suit to proceed. Prince Andrew’s lawyer also argued on Monday that his client had not been properly served with legal papers in Britain. The lawyer, Andrew B. Brettler, said Ms. Giuffre’s lawsuit was “baseless, nonviable and potentially unlawful.”