NEW YORK: Jurors in Harvey Weinstein’s rape and sexual assault retrial started deliberations on Thursday (Jun 5) morning, following closing directions from New York Supreme Court docket Justice Curtis Farber. The choose urged them to independently assess the credibility of three girls who accused the previous Hollywood mogul of sexual assault, which the protection argued have been fabrications.
Weinstein, 73, is charged with raping aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013 and sexually assaulting two different girls in 2006 and 2002. He has pleaded not responsible and continues to disclaim all allegations of non-consensual intercourse or assault. The retrial was necessitated after a New York appeals courtroom overturned his 2020 conviction in April 2024, citing judicial errors.
If convicted, Weinstein faces as much as 25 years in jail for 2 counts of felony sexual acts and as much as 4 years for one rely of rape. He’s already serving a 16-year sentence following a 2022 rape conviction in California.
Throughout Thursday’s proceedings, Weinstein thanked the choose and courtroom workers, calling his remedy “extremely truthful.” This adopted an unsuccessful movement for mistrial by his protection lawyer, Arthur Aidala, after a sick juror was changed with an alternate.
PREDATORY BEHAVIOUR
Prosecutors from Manhattan District Lawyer Alvin Bragg’s workplace described Weinstein as a manipulative trade determine who used his energy to lure girls into susceptible conditions.
“He held the golden ticket, the prospect to make it or not,” stated prosecutor Nicole Blumberg throughout closing arguments on Wednesday. “He made every of those girls really feel small, no match for the ability dealer of Hollywood.”
The prosecution contends that Weinstein systematically provided profession alternatives earlier than isolating his victims and assaulting them.
