On Tuesday, Spider-Man went on trial for hitting a woman. Philip Williams, who roams the streets of New York dressed as Spider-Man, allegedly hit a woman when she refused to tip him after taking a picture with her children. The incident happened in February 2013.

Victoria Goreaciuc, the mother, said that Williams cursed at her and punched her in the face after she threw snow at him. According to Williams, he just defended himself when he felt a blow to his head.

In the courtroom, evidence that was presented include the Spider-Man costume that Williams wore. There were also questions asking if Batman was there to witness the incident, since some say that he tried to break up the fight between Spider-Man and Goreaciuc. Williams is facing harassment and other charges. If convicted, he could serve up to 90 days of jail time.

In court, Criminal Court Judge Anthony Ferrara said, “They chased down Spider-Man – apparently, he could not get away.”

Spider-Man’s case is just one of the many misdemeanor cases against costumed characters who make a living by roaming the streets and getting tips from tourists. A few years ago, Super Mario was accused of groping a woman and Cookie Monster allegedly shoved a child.

Goreaciuc is an information technology worker. She said that the family was celebrating her son’s seventh birthday when the incident with Spider-Man happened.

After the confrontation, the Goreaciuc family continued shopping and visiting different stores in Times Square, but the kids kept asking about Spider-Man’s reaction and the curse words that he said. That’s when Goreaciuc decided to alert the police.

In court, the defense asked whether Williams was actually the one who Goreaciuc had an issue with, since his identity is party hidden behind the costume. Goreaciuc admitted that initially, she reprimanded the wrong Spider-Man.

Spider-Man’s trial will resume on Wednesday.

Meet the costumed characters of Time Square

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