Harvey Weinstein faces retrial after mistrial in Jessica Mann case
In New York, a second trial against former prominent film producer Harvey Weinstein began on Tuesday with the selection of a jury, over charges of raping actress Jessica Mann, after the jury in last year’s trial failed to reach a unanimous verdict and the judge declared a mistrial.
The selection of 12 jurors is expected to take several days or even longer, as it is difficult to find jurors who have not already formed an opinion about Weinstein, CE Report quotes STA.
The 74-year-old, who was sentenced in California to 16 years in prison for raping a European film actress, remains behind bars. Weinstein has appealed the California conviction, with the first hearing scheduled for April 23, according to U.S. broadcaster ABC.
At a separate trial in New York last June, the jury found him guilty of sexually assaulting producer Miriam Haley and acquitted him of charges related to the alleged sexual assault of Polish actress Kaja Sokola.
In the case concerning Jessica Mann, disagreements among jurors led to a breakdown in deliberations, and the jury foreperson refused to continue, prompting the judge to declare a mistrial with the possibility of refiling the charges. For the conviction related to Haley, Weinstein faces up to 25 years in prison, although sentencing has not yet been handed down, according to the New York Post.
Weinstein, who was brought to court in a wheelchair on Tuesday, had previously been sentenced in 2020 to 23 years in prison for raping Mann. However, a New York appeals court overturned that conviction in 2024, after which prosecutors refiled the charges last year and again this year.
He has faced multiple criminal prosecutions since allegations of sexual misconduct against him became public in 2017, helping to spark the MeToo movement. Weinstein has hired a new legal team, including Jacob Kaplan and Marc Agnifilo, who represents high-profile clients such as rapper Sean Combs. He claims that he is exposed to threats at the notorious Rikers Island prison complex, where he is currently being held, and therefore spends most of his time in solitary confinement.
Shortly before the start of the current trial in New York, prosecutors revealed that in 2020 Weinstein told a court official that if he had seen those girls, he would have done exactly the same, according to the New York Post.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office reportedly only became aware of this statement last week, prompting Weinstein’s lawyers to request that the judge exclude it from evidence. Prosecutors said they do not intend to mention it before the jury unless Weinstein decides to testify.
Foto: dpa/STA
