Geraldine Bloch

>> After an almost 7 hour trial, there will be no verdict for John Galliano today — instead, the decision will come on Sept. 8. If convicted, Galliano faces up to a six-month jail term and a fine of 22,500 euros ($32,410).

Plaintiff Geraldine Bloch is seeking just one euro in compensation on moral grounds. "What we are after is an expression of regret and excuses for what has happened," her lawyer said on the courthouse steps before entering for the trial. Her fellow plaintiff and boyfriend, Philippe Virgitti, is pursuing compensation of 220,000 euros ($316,272) on the basis of "moral damage." His lawyer said, pre-trial: "Unfortunately Mr. Galliano doesn't seem to have a code of honor, so my client feels the only way to reach him is through his wallet."

The prosecutor ultimately recommended a guilty sentence and a fine of up to 5,000 euros ($7,188) for both the Feb. 24 and Oct. 8 incidents at today's trial.

>> Just a week after John Galliano hired a new lawyer, his trial date has been set for June 22, it was determined at a hearing in Paris today. Galliano was not present, and his new lawyer Aurelien Hamelle said that he isn't currently in France, declining to give further details on Galliano's whereabouts or current activities.

Galliano does, however, intend on attending the trial in person, Hamelle said: "As a mark of respect to the court and to the victims, he will definitely be in court in June. He knows what he said was not right. And he regrets the remarks he made. But we should remember he was sick and in a bad place. He was so drunk he cannot really remember what he said. And he is still undergoing treatment now."

The trial, which is expected to last a day, will determine if Galliano is guilty of verbally abusing three plaintiffs — Geraldine Bloch, Philippe Virgitti, and Fathia Oumeddour — on two separate occasions with anti-Semitic and racist slurs. If found guilty, Galliano could face up to six months of prison and a fine of 22,500 euros ($31,271). However, Nathalie Micault, Oumeddour's lawyer, predicted that even if Galliano was convicted, the court would be very unlikely to put the designer in prison.

>> After an altercation Thursday night that caused Dior to suspend John Galliano, the designer visited Paris police on Friday at midnight to provide three witness statements that he never made any racist or anti-Semitic slurs, as alleged. His lawyer Stephane Zerbib also confirmed that Galliano filed a claim of defamation and injury against the couple, Geraldine Bloch and Philippe Virgiti, who accused him of making such statements.

According to police reports, Galliano allegedly yelled: "Dirty Jewish face, you should be dead!" to Bloch (who is not Jewish), and "F*cking Asian bastard, I will kill you!" to Virgiti, who is of Asian descent.

Galliano is "shocked" at Dior's decision to suspend him, according to Zerbib: “He is not guilty and is not embroiled in a court case or anything. He feels it is a decision that has been made without verification of the facts and based on one side of the story and he is very shocked about that."

Apparently Galliano's chauffeur, who was at the cafe during the incident, is a key witness and has confirmed to police that the designer's account of the events is true. A source who has worked with Galliano on several projects told The Cut he "can't imagine [Galliano] would do this to anyone. I'm an observant Jew, and I know from my own experiences with him that there's no way he hates Jewish people. He's incredibly gentle."

Today, the Paris public prosecutor's office ordered Galliano and Bloch to meet Monday afternoon at the police station in Paris' third arrondissement. "They have to find out the truth," said Zerbib. "If the public prosecutor’s office decides it is an emergency case, things could go very quickly."