NEW YORK (AP) — Opening statements are set for Tuesday in Harvey Weinstein’s New York rape retrial, offering a new jury its first look at a bellwether #MeToo case that remains unresolved nearly eight years after the former movie tycoon’s arrest.
Since Weinstein became a major target of the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct nearly a decade ago, he has been convicted of some sexual assault charges and acquitted of others in trials on two U.S. coasts. But the rape charge involving a 2013 encounter in a Manhattan hotel has lingered, due to an overturned conviction followed by a jury deadlock.
Weinstein has pleaded not guilty and denies ever having nonconsensual sex. He stated in court this winter that he had been unfaithful to his then-wife and “acted wrongly, but I never assaulted anyone.”
The jury — seven men and five women — was selected over several days last week. Weinstein’s last New York jury was majority-female, but his first was mostly male.
The current jurors were questioned about their familiarity with Weinstein and whether they could be fair and impartial regardless of what they might have heard.
Now a 73-year-old prison inmate, Weinstein was once one of the most powerful figures in Hollywood. An Academy Award-winning producer, he helped bring such acclaimed films as 'Pulp Fiction,' 'Shakespeare in Love,' and 'Gangs of New York' to audiences.
His career collapsed in 2017 when accusations of sexual misconduct became public, leading to criminal charges in New York and Los Angeles. The current trial centers around the accusations of Jessica Mann, a hairstylist who alleged that Weinstein trapped her in a hotel room and coerced her into a sexual encounter against her will.
The trial is expected to take up to four weeks.
Since Weinstein became a major target of the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct nearly a decade ago, he has been convicted of some sexual assault charges and acquitted of others in trials on two U.S. coasts. But the rape charge involving a 2013 encounter in a Manhattan hotel has lingered, due to an overturned conviction followed by a jury deadlock.
Weinstein has pleaded not guilty and denies ever having nonconsensual sex. He stated in court this winter that he had been unfaithful to his then-wife and “acted wrongly, but I never assaulted anyone.”
The jury — seven men and five women — was selected over several days last week. Weinstein’s last New York jury was majority-female, but his first was mostly male.
The current jurors were questioned about their familiarity with Weinstein and whether they could be fair and impartial regardless of what they might have heard.
Now a 73-year-old prison inmate, Weinstein was once one of the most powerful figures in Hollywood. An Academy Award-winning producer, he helped bring such acclaimed films as 'Pulp Fiction,' 'Shakespeare in Love,' and 'Gangs of New York' to audiences.
His career collapsed in 2017 when accusations of sexual misconduct became public, leading to criminal charges in New York and Los Angeles. The current trial centers around the accusations of Jessica Mann, a hairstylist who alleged that Weinstein trapped her in a hotel room and coerced her into a sexual encounter against her will.
The trial is expected to take up to four weeks.
