Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has returned to a New York courtroom for the opening day of his rape and sexual assault retrial.
A female-majority jury will resolve the end result of the retrial at Manhattan criminal court after prosecutors and Weinstein’s lawyers finished jury selection Tuesday.
Weinstein, who was wheeled into court in a wheelchair on Wednesday morning, is being tried again after New York’s highest court last year overturned his 2020 conviction and 23-year prison sentence in a major blow to the #MeToo movement.
The Court of Appeals found that his trial had been tainted by improper rulings and prejudicial testimony.
State prosecutors brought new sex crimes charges against Weinstein in September, this time charging him with first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape based on accusations from a former TV production assistant, Miriam Haley, and aspiring actress, Jessica Mann.
The 73-year-old has pleaded not guilty.
Weinstein was granted a minor legal victory last week when a judge ruled he could spend the remainder of his retrial in a hospital relatively than Rikers Island on account of his intensive well being points.
Judge Curtis Farber agreed and mentioned “to not achieve this might result in exacerbation of and additional severe medical circumstances, and presumably loss of life.”
Opening statements start
In her opening assertion, Shannon Lucey, assistant district legal professional, says Weinstein used “dream alternatives as weapons.”
“I simply discover you so engaging. I could not resist. I could not resist. I couldn’t take no for a solution,” she started. “Harvey Weinstein… hollywood gatekepper… held energy for 30 years in that trade.”
“He held numerous conferences in lodge rooms with actors, fashions, producers, assistants. Weinstein had monumental management over these working in TV and movie as a result of he decided who was out and in.”
“He used these dream alternatives as weapons”
Kelly Rissman23 April 2025 16:20
Jury members getting into court docket
The jury is getting into the court docket.
Choose Curtis Farber is scolding the jury to ensure everybody comes on time sooner or later…
Opening statements must be beginning shortly.
Mike Bedigan23 April 2025 15:50
Wheelchair-bound Weinstein arrives in court docket
Harvey Weinstein has arrived in court docket, and has been wheeled in in a wheelchair.
It’s understood that this morning’s proceedings have been delayed in beginning after one juror was late.
Mike Bedigan23 April 2025 15:39
Harvey Weinstein: The #MeToo motion’s most infamous villain heads again to court docket for retrial
Harvey Weinstein is heading again to court docket in New York — a yr after an appeals court docket threw out the conviction of essentially the most well-known dangerous man of the #MeToo period.
Has the motion survived? asks Kelly Rissman
Mike Bedigan23 April 2025 15:35
Harvey Weinstein’s well being points
Forward of his retrial Harvey Weinstein was granted a minor victory after a decide dominated he can spend the rest of it in a hospital relatively than Rikers Island.
The 73-year-old has been recognized with persistent myeloid leukemia, diabetes mellitus, intensive coronary artery illness, angina, diffuse average coronary artery illness, obstructive sleep apnea, thyroid points and weight problems, along with a number of different well being points.
In September, he was hospitalized for emergency coronary heart surgical procedure and the following month he was recognized with most cancers.
Weinstein will probably be transferred to Bellevue Hospital in Kips Bay, the place he’ll stay at some point of his retrial on rape accusations.
Mike Bedigan23 April 2025 15:25
Recap: Timeline of Weinstein’s authorized battles
In case you want a recap, here’s a timeline of the disgraced film mogul’s authorized battles, spanning 2017 – current day.
Rhian Lubin23 April 2025 14:40
Watch: Reside scenes from outdoors the courthouse as proceedings on account of start shortly
Proceedings will start shortly because the court docket is being seated in the mean time, Kelly Rissman stories from the courthouse.
Gloria Allred, who has represented a number of girls of their circumstances in opposition to Weinstein, advised The Impartial that she is feeling “constructive” about immediately.
Talking of the #MeToo motion, Allred beforehand advised The Impartial:
“The herstory of the #MeToo motion and the ladies’s motion has all the time been two steps ahead and one step backwards. So we can’t anticipate to all the time achieve success.”
Rhian Lubin, Kelly Rissman23 April 2025 14:40
Stakes are excessive for the way forward for the #MeToo motion
The Impartial’s Kelly Rissman stories reside from court docket.
I’m on the New York prison courthouse in downtown Manhattan the place opening statements are set to start in just a few hours.
It’s a quiet morning on the courthouse to this point. Only a handful of members of the general public are ready to enter the courtroom, hoping to see by means of what started eight years in the past when the movie mogul first confronted #MeToo allegations.
Weinstein, who’s being saved within the hospital at some point of the trial, will seemingly by no means see life outdoors of jail no matter this trial’s end result.
He has but to start out serving his 16-year sentence after being convicted in Los Angeles.
Nonetheless, the stakes are excessive for the way forward for the motion. Lindsay Goldbrum, an legal professional for the brand new nameless sufferer, has mentioned: “Greater than seven years after #MeToo, this case will take a look at how far we’ve superior in our collective understanding of sexual assault, energy dynamics, and what it means to be a survivor.”
Kelly Rissman23 April 2025 14:15
Weinstein allowed to remain in hospital through the retrial
Legal professionals for Weinstein had asked Judge Curtis Farber to permit their shopper to stay within the hospital on account of his intensive well being points. Farber agreed, saying “to not achieve this might result in exacerbation of and additional severe medical circumstances, and presumably loss of life.”
Court docket paperwork point out Weinstein, 73, has been recognized with chronic myeloid leukemia, diabetes mellitus, intensive coronary artery illness, angina, diffuse average coronary artery illness, obstructive sleep apnea, thyroid points and weight problems, along with a number of different well being points.
Weinstein will probably be transferred to Bellevue Hospital in Kips Bay, the place he’ll stay at some point of his retrial on rape accusations.
Ariana Baio23 April 2025 14:00
Source link