Harvey Weinstein trial dwell: Disgraced movie mogul wheeled into courtroom for opening statements in rape retrial
Disgraced film 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 decide the outcome 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 rather than Rikers Island due to his extensive health issues.
Judge Curtis Farber agreed and said “to not do so could lead to exacerbation of and further serious medical conditions, and possibly death.”
Jury members entering court
The jury is entering the court.
Judge Curtis Farber is scolding the jury to make sure everyone comes on time in the future…
Opening statements should be starting shortly.
Wheelchair-bound Weinstein arrives in court
Harvey Weinstein has arrived in court, and has been wheeled in in a wheelchair.
It’s understood that this morning’s proceedings were delayed in starting after one juror was late.
All 12 are now here.
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Harvey Weinstein’s health issues
Ahead of his retrial Harvey Weinstein was granted a minor victory after a judge ruled he can spend the remainder of it in a hospital rather than Rikers Island.
The 73-year-old has been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, diabetes mellitus, extensive coronary artery disease, angina, diffuse moderate coronary artery disease, obstructive sleep apnea, thyroid issues and obesity, in addition to several other health issues.
In September, he was hospitalized for emergency heart surgery and the next month he was diagnosed with cancer.
Weinstein will be transferred to Bellevue Hospital in Kips Bay, where he will remain for the duration of his retrial on rape accusations.
Recap: Timeline of Weinstein’s legal battles
In case you need a recap, here is a timeline of the disgraced movie mogul’s legal battles, spanning 2017 – present day.
Watch: Live scenes from outside the courthouse as proceedings due to begin shortly
Proceedings will begin shortly as the court is being seated at the moment, Kelly Rissman reports from the courthouse.
Gloria Allred, who has represented multiple women in their cases against Weinstein, told The Independent that she is feeling “positive” about today.
Speaking of the #MeToo movement, Allred previously told The Independent:
“The herstory of the #MeToo movement and the women’s movement has always been two steps forward and one step backwards. So we cannot expect to always be successful.”
Stakes are high for the future of the #MeToo movement
The Independent’s Kelly Rissman reports live from court.
I’m at the New York criminal courthouse in downtown Manhattan where opening statements are set to begin in a few hours.
It’s a quiet morning at the courthouse so far. Just a handful of members of the public are waiting to enter the courtroom, hoping to see through what began eight years ago when the film mogul first faced #MeToo allegations.
Weinstein, who’s being kept in the hospital for the duration of the trial, will likely never see life outside of prison regardless of this trial’s outcome.
He has yet to start serving his 16-year sentence after being convicted in Los Angeles.
Still, the stakes are high for the future of the movement. Lindsay Goldbrum, an attorney for the new anonymous victim, has said: “More than seven years after #MeToo, this case will test how far we’ve advanced in our collective understanding of sexual assault, power dynamics, and what it means to be a survivor.”
Weinstein allowed to stay in hospital during the retrial
Lawyers for Weinstein had asked Judge Curtis Farber to allow their client to remain in the hospital due to his extensive health issues. Farber agreed, saying “to not do so could lead to exacerbation of and further serious medical conditions, and possibly death.”
Court documents indicate Weinstein, 73, has been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, diabetes mellitus, extensive coronary artery disease, angina, diffuse moderate coronary artery disease, obstructive sleep apnea, thyroid issues and obesity, in addition to several other health issues.
Weinstein will be transferred to Bellevue Hospital in Kips Bay, where he will remain for the duration of his retrial on rape accusations.
Read the full story.
Who is on the jury?
Drawn from Manhattan’s jury pool, the 12 members of the main jury for the New York retrial include a physics researcher, a photographer, a dietician, a therapist, an investment bank software engineer and a fire safety director.
Others have experience in real estate, TV commercials, debt collection, social work and other fields.
One has a high school equivalency degree. Others have master’s degrees. Some have served as jurors or grand jurors multiple times before; others, never.
Hundreds of other potential jurors were excused for reasons ranging from language barriers to strong opinions about Weinstein — “the first word that came in my head was ‘pig,’” said one man who was soon let go.
Those chosen were quizzed about their backgrounds, life experiences and various other points that could relate to their ability to be fair and impartial about the highly publicized case.
Weinstein allegations set off a a cultural bomb across the movie industry
Harvey Weinstein’s long-awaited New York retrial began with jury selection last week. Now the 73-year-old former movie mogul will face sex crimes charges in court in a major test for the enduring power of the #MeToo movement.
When New York prosecutors first arrested Weinstein in 2018, the stories of his accusers not only set off a cultural bomb across the movie industry but also led to systemic change in politics, sports, and other industries for good.
That momentum was buoyed in 2020 when a jury convicted Weinstein of sexual assault and rape — only to sink last year when an appeals court threw out that conviction.
As the Weinstein retrial gets underway in New York City — with an additional sex crimes charge added to the original two, all of which he’s pleaded not guilty to — so too does the chance for women to have their day in court, again.
Kelly Rissman looks at what the retrial means for the #MeToo movement.
Source: independent.co.uk
