Justin Bieber will be deposed and questioned about a 2013 incident in Miami when the pop star allegedly instructed his bodyguard to attack photographer Jeffrey Binion and take his film card, according to a source.
Binion’s lawyers will also be allowed to ask about other related incidents in cities around the world involving Bieber, 19, and the behavior of his various bodyguards. Bieber’s lawyers had petitioned to block the deposition, but their request was denied, according to documents filed Feb. 11 in the Third District Court of Appeal for Miami.
“Miami Judge Sarah Zabel initially denied Bieber’s requests to stop Binion’s lawyers from deposing him and asking questions about other incidents involving him and his varied bodyguards’ aggressive behavior,” a source close to the case tells PEOPLE.
The judge also denied Bieber’s request to stop the public’s right to view his scheduled videotaped deposition.
“Although Bieber’s lawyers appealed the judge’s rulings, the appeal was denied,” the source tells PEOPLE. “Bieber can no longer hide. Binion’s lawyers are waiting for a deposition date to be set in Miami.”
Says Howard Weitzman, an L.A. attorney for the singer: “The Binion lawsuit is totally without merit, as are the recent Miami DUI and Toronto assault cases where Justin has been wrongfully accused. These cases are all in the early stages of [legal procedure]. We choose to litigate them through the courts instead of the media.”
Bieber was arrested in Miami Beach last month and charged with driving under the influence, resisting arrest and driving without a valid driver’s license. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is awaiting a trial date. There will be a status report hearing on Feb. 19 to see where everything stands.
Also in January, Bieber voluntarily returned to Toronto and faced an assault complaint made by a limousine driver who had transported the singer and some of his friends from a nightclub to a hotel in the wee hours of Dec. 30. According to reports from the police, the assailant fled the scene at the time.
The Toronto police said Bieber was charged with assault and is scheduled to appear in a Canadian court room on Mar. 10.
Source: People
