Harvey Weinstein Rape Retrial Hears Opening Arguments
The retrial of disgraced US movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, accused of raping actress Jessica Mann, got underway Tuesday with lawyers presenting their opening arguments to a 12-member jury. Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672569656851-0"); }); Weinstein, a focal figure of sexual assault allegations that spurred the “MeToo” movement, will remain imprisoned for other offenses regardless of the verdict. The judge declared a mistrial on the allegations by Mann last June after the jury foreperson refused to return to deliberate the case amid a jury-room feud. Weinstein, 74 and wheelchair-bound by ill health, is being retried on a count of third-degree rape in the New York state supreme court in Manhattan. He is already serving a 16-year prison term in a California case for the rape of a European actress more than a decade ago. Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672569913499-0"); }); He is appealing that conviction, and another from the trial in June. Before their foreperson quit, the jury convicted Weinstein of sexual assault against movie producer Miriam Haley and acquitted him of the same alleged crime against Polish-born actress Kaja Sokola. READ ALSO: Harvey Weinstein Rape Retrial Begins In New York Weinstein has hired a new legal team including Marc Agnifilo, who represents high profile figures including rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs. Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672587799169-0"); }); The Oscar-winning Weinstein has claimed to be under threat at the notorious Rikers Island jail complex in the Bronx where he is being held, leaving him mostly in solitary confinement. “I’m constantly threatened and derided. I wouldn’t last long out there,” he told the Hollywood Reporter at the start of the year. Weinstein was known for his fiery temper, and the industry had long been rife with suggestions that he took advantage of his power to sexually exploit women. In 2017, blockbuster investigations by the New Yorker and the New York Times laid bare a series of claims by young women that triggered an avalanche of allegations from more than 80 complainants and prompted the global #MeToo movement. Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672587060870-0"); }); AFP Join Our Whatsapp Channel To join: Simply click on the link below & turn on notifications to get the latest updates Subscribe to Our Newsletter In This Article: Cinema Court Harvey Weinstein More Stories Spike Lee Gifts Pope Leo Knicks Jersey As Pontiff Meets Film Stars Screen Icon Robert Redford Dead At 89 French Actor Depardieu Ordered To Stand Trial For Rape /* * * CONFIGURATION VARIABLES: EDIT BEFORE PASTING INTO YOUR WEBPAGE * * / var disqus_shortname = 'channelstelevision'; // Required - Replace example with your forum shortname / * * DON'T EDIT BELOW THIS LINE * * */ (function() { var dsq = document.createElement('script'); dsq.type = 'text/javascript'; dsq.async = true; dsq.src = '//' + disqus_shortname + '.disqus.com/embed.js'; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(dsq); })(); Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.