NEW YORK — The remaining time a New York Town jury sat in judgment of Harvey Weinstein, the ex-movie studio boss used to be convicted of rape and sentenced to 23 years in jail.
5 years later, that landmark #MeToo verdict is long past — wiped away on enchantment — and Weinstein is ready to head on trial once more, starting Tuesday with jury variety.
New York’s easiest court docket, the Court docket of Appeals, overturned Weinstein’s conviction and ordered a brand new trial, discovering that his authentic one in 2020 used to be tainted via mistaken rulings and prejudicial testimony. That ruling gave Weinstein a 2nd likelihood to combat the fees, and achieve this in a unique environment than his first trial, which used to be held in the midst of a world reckoning over sexual misconduct.
Weinstein, who has pleaded no longer accountable and denies that he raped or sexually assaulted any individual, is older and extra frail, out and in of the sanatorium continuously for plenty of well being issues. He is now some distance got rid of from the time when he used to be a few of the maximum tough males within the film industry.
And although he’s acquitted, he’s going to no longer stroll loose.
Weinstein may be interesting a 2022 rape conviction in Los Angeles. His 16-year jail sentence if so nonetheless stands, regardless that his legal professionals mentioned he must be resentenced for the reason that since-vacated New York conviction used to be a consider how his punishment used to be calculated.
Within the New York retrial, Pass judgement on Curtis Farber has put aside a minimum of 4 days for jury variety and expects opening statements and the beginning of testimony subsequent week.
The pass judgement on, prosecution and protection will paintings to whittle an enormous pool of doable jurors right down to the 18 other folks — 12 jurors and 6 alternates — wanted for the trial via asking questions and in quest of to do away with any individual they really feel can’t pass judgement on the case moderately.
Weinstein, 73, is being retried on two fees from his authentic trial. He’s accused of raping an aspiring actor in a Big apple lodge room in 2013 and acting a felony intercourse act via forcing oral intercourse on a film and TV manufacturing assistant in 2006. He’s additionally charged with one rely of felony intercourse act according to an allegation from a lady who used to be no longer part of the unique trial. That lady, who has no longer been named publicly, alleges Weinstein compelled oral intercourse on her at a Big apple lodge.
Settling on a jury will contain bringing in round 80 doable jurors at a time for 2 elementary screening questions.
First, the pass judgement on will ask for a display of fingers from any individual who has paintings, circle of relatives or different duties that can save you them from serving. Then, he’ll ask for a display of fingers from any individual who feels they are able to’t be independent according to the character of the fees or information protection.
Any individual who raises a hand shall be despatched house, Farber has mentioned.
Those that stay shall be seated in or close to the jury field, 24 at a time, and requested further questions on such things as their training, paintings, and whether or not any individual they know is in legislation enforcement or has been a sufferer of against the law.
Prosecutors and Weinstein’s legal professionals will then each and every have 40 mins to invite inquiries to each and every subset of 24 doable jurors. Ceaselessly, legal professionals will use that point to apply up on issues raised in previous wondering or to 0 in on considerations about doable biases.
All sides can ask the pass judgement on to push aside a possible juror. If too many jurors are disregarded, every other crew shall be introduced in and the method will repeat till the entire jury is seated.
