The retrial of Harvey Weinstein on charges of rape and sexual assault has commenced with opening statements presented to a Manhattan jury, a year following the overturning of the disgraced film producer’s conviction by New York’s highest state appeals court.
Weinstein, aged 73, is facing one count of rape and two counts of criminal sexual acts. The co-founder of Miramax, who was once a key figure in Hollywood, has pleaded not guilty and has denied any allegations of assault or non-consensual sexual encounters.
Weinstein’s original trial conviction marked a significant milestone for the #MeToo movement, which empowered women to come forward with their allegations of sexual misconduct by influential men in various fields such as media and politics.
The new trial, presided over by Supreme Court Justice Curtis Farber, is anticipated to last approximately six weeks. For a conviction, all 12 jurors will need to reach a unanimous decision.
Arthur Aidala, Weinstein’s attorney, disputed this characterization, asserting that the producer maintained “mutually beneficial” relationships with his accusers, who ultimately received auditions and other opportunities in the entertainment industry.
Weinstein, attired in a dark suit and navy tie, listened intently as he was wheeled into the courtroom.
A jury found Weinstein guilty of rape and sexual assault in 2020, leading to a 23-year prison sentence.
In April 2024, a state appeals court invalidated the conviction and mandated a new trial, ruling that testimonies from women who alleged assaults not encompassed by the charges should not have been permitted.
Prosecutors from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office have accused Weinstein of sexually assaulting former production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006 and raping aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013, offenses for which he was previously convicted.
For this retrial, prosecutors have introduced an additional charge alleging that Weinstein assaulted another woman, identified as Kaja Sokola, in Manhattan in 2006 when she was a 16-year-old aspiring actress.
Even if acquitted in this retrial, Weinstein is likely to spend the remainder of his life in prison, having received a 16-year sentence following a separate conviction for rape in California.
He has not yet begun serving that sentence and has remained in custody in New York since the overturning of his conviction there.
In September, Weinstein was hospitalized for emergency heart surgery, part of a series of health scares while he was detained at Rikers Island jail in New York City, where his representatives have claimed he has not received proper medical care.
Concerned for his health, Weinstein’s legal team is pursuing a court order to permit him to stay overnight at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan throughout the trial.
Over 100 women, including several well-known actresses, have accused Weinstein of misconduct, and the allegations against him became a central issue of the #MeToo movement. He has consistently denied these allegations, asserting that any sexual activities he engaged in were consensual.
Weinstein’s film studio declared bankruptcy in March 2018, following the initial accusations of sexual misconduct.
Source: Reuters
