Harvey Weinstein Appears in Court Ahead of Jury Selection In Trial

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On Wednesday, Harvey Weinstein made an appearance in court, where his legal team and the prosecution were engaged in a dispute regarding outstanding motions prior to his forthcoming trial.

The process of choosing the jury for Weinstein’s case is set to begin on April 15th. He is facing a second trial for charges including criminal sexual act in the first degree and rape in the third degree. In September, an additional charge of criminal sexual act in the first degree was brought against him.

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Weinstein’s jury selection will kick off on April 15th. He stands accused of criminal sexual act in the first degree and rape in the third degree, charges for which he is due to face a retrial. An additional charge of criminal sexual act in the first degree was added against him in September.

Weinstein’s team has frequently used his health issues as a justification for expediting the trial. His health concerns were raised again on Wednesday, with Weinstein, who was wheelchair-bound, expressing discomfort about his treatment during the lunch break, which his attorney described as “awful.” Arthur Aidala, Weinstein’s lawyer, mentioned his age (73) and stated that Weinstein required some form of sustenance.

Aidala stated, “He mustn’t appear weak or frail throughout this trial, given his age is 73 years.

On Thursday, Weinstein chose not to attend court due to his ongoing health problems, as both parties are currently handling the remaining procedures before the trial begins. Weinstein has been dealing with leukemia and several other health complications over the past year, requiring multiple hospital visits.

Regardless of the emphasis on Weinstein’s health during the preliminary hearings, Judge Curtis J. Farber previously decided that this matter won’t be discussed in court unless Weinstein decides to take the stand himself.

At the hearing held on Wednesday, Farber subsequently changed his previous verdict and permitted the second complainant, referred to as witness #2, to employ the term “force” or explain an instance of force in the case.

The legal team defending Weinstein attempted to prevent the usage of a specific term, following his acquittal on an earlier rape allegation that involved forced actions. They reasoned that if the witness employed this term, it could potentially lead jurors to infer that Weinstein had been cleared of the rape charge.

Previously, Judge Farber decided that neither side could present evidence, discuss points, or make references to the overturned 2020 verdict against Weinstein, nor could they debate about the jury’s verdict acquitting him of specific charges during that trial.

On hump day, old man Farber dropped a hint to Weinstein’s squad: either you grill the witness or I can throw in some jury instructions if the past conviction’s impact on trial gives you worries. But during lunchtime on the same day, Aidala spilled the beans to reporters that this might stir up trouble for an appeal.

Most part of the day was dedicated to a proposal by Weinstein’s legal team to exclude assistant district attorney Shannon Lucey from the case, due to their inability to cross-examine her on notes she made from one of the accusers. After intense debates and private discussions, Weinstein’s team eventually withdrew this motion, provided that a statement about the note-taking was acknowledged by the jury.

The two sides were still working out the precise wording for the clause and intended to carry on their talks through the night and at a hearing scheduled for Thursday.

In 2020, Lucy recorded observations during an interview with a witness who was expressing complaints, but this individual wasn’t connected to Weinstein’s original court case. However, in 2024, this same witness testified before a grand jury, and again Lucy took notes. Weinstein’s legal team claimed there were discrepancies between the notes, while the prosecution stated that these records weren’t exact transcriptions and that the initial meetings were rather brief.

If the witness claimed they used more force than what was written in the court records during the trial, Weinstein’s legal team suggested they wanted to question the notetaker, Lucey, directly, but were unable to since she is a member of the prosecution team.

Should Lucey get disqualified, prosecutors mentioned they’d require approximately 60 days to find a replacement, thereby postponing the trial’s commencement. Weinstein’s legal team contended that, considering his health issues, their client was unwilling to endure such a delay.

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2025-04-10 01:26