A Note from the OP:
I'm starting this thread for people who are interested in discussing the trial of Harvey Weinstein. I'm aware that the Weinstein topic tends to result in thread derailments and sometimes personal attacks on other posters' character. I'm asking that folks please keep the thread on topic (the trial itself) and civil.

1/16:
Jury selection continues. The judge rejected a motion from the defense to question potential jurors privately instead of in open court. 7 jurors have been selected so far. Potential jurors were asked about their TV watching habits, among other things. According to Variety (for some reason I can't get the link to work), none of the folks who are fans of Law & Order SVU were selected.

The prosecution accused the defense of wrongly striking all of the white women. The judge upheld the strikes as fair. The defense also made a last-ditch motion to get the trial moved outside of Manhattan due to publicity. The judge will rule on that next week.

A potential juror was ordered to reappear in March for a contempt charge after tweeting about his jury summons in violation of a court order.

The judge also made a clear statement to potential jurors that their job was to decide the facts of this case and that this case was not a referendum on women's rights, the "me-too" movement or anything else.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-people-harvey-weinstein-idUSKBN1ZF18A

1/17:
The jury has been selected: 7 men, five women.

An appellate court denied the defense motion to move the trial to another location, citing the fact that other counties were just as likely to have been exposed to media coverage and that their lower populations would inhibit, not help, the search for an impartial jury.

The prosecution once again argued that the defense was systematically striking younger white women from the panel, but the judge did not see it the same way. A potential juror was struck by the defense after they examined her Facebook page and discovered it prominantly showed her marching in a women's rights protest. Among the selected jurors is a woman who says she has been the victim of abuse in the past and another woman who wrote a novel about predatory old men abusing young women.

https://deadline.com/2020/01/harvey-weinstein-jury-nearly-set-judge-spikes-defense-bid-to-move-trial-1202833752/

Harvey Weinerstein

****ter virtue signaling should spike along with this

Wait the casting couch is illegal

Not a Weinstein thread without atmag.

The trial will not begin until January 22. It doesn't appear the jury will be sequestered. There are seven men and five women. Eight are white, four are not.

On an interesting note, the panel also includes a lawyer. While not completely unheard of, usually attorneys do not want other attorneys on the jury. This video is a good explanation of why certain people who are experts in certain fields are often not selected to be on juries:



https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/amp/news/harvey-weinsteins-new-york-trial-jury-set-1270682

So he starts out "with" a walker, will he be acting like Stephen Hawking for sympathy for sentencing in a wheelchair by the end?

It appeared to me based on the way he was walking that it was pretty legitimate. I don't think it's a sympathy ploy, he's had some significant back issues. He tried to walk in a few weeks ago without a walker and was definitely struggling.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/20/nyregion/harvey-weinstein-trial.html

Time for some kyle tucker references

The recording is not going to be admissible in this trial, but does provide a bit more insight into how he made his "move." Quite likely to hear testimony in this trial expressing very similar experiences.

Trial is underway today.

Prosecution wasted no time calling Weinstein a rapist, spending time detailing assaults on prior women as well as the allegations relating to these charges.

It looks like the prosecution is going to be allowed to have several women testify about encounters with Weinstein in the past. Annabella Sciorra will testify that Weinstein violently/forcefully raped her in the winter of '93/'94. This what I was referring to earlier as the controversial "MO" or "prior bad acts" testimony. Remember, none of these encounters resulted in criminal charges and the allegations they describe don't have to be proven. This type of testimony is not allowed in many jurisdictions and is only allowed in New York under certain circumstances.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/harvey-weinstein-prosecutors-lean-on-controversial-evidence-as-trial-opens-11579703778


In their opening, the defense countered that Jessica Mann (alleged victim in this case) was the one who frequently reached out to Weinstein and called him her "casual boyfriend." They read emails and messages exchanged between the two in which Mann seemed very happy with him. The prosecution will bring on a doctor who will try to explain this as common behavior in victims of sexual assault.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2020/01/22/harvey-weinstein-trial-scathing-opening-statements-graphic-accusations/4503259002/

Annabella Sciorra took the stand this morning. The charges in this case are not based on her accusation. She is allowed to testify because the state is attempting to prove that Weinstein is a serial sexual predator, which carries an additional sentence under state law.

She testified that Weinstein knocked on her door after dropping her off from dinner, forced his way inside, pinned her down and violently raped her. She said under cross-examination that she didn't report it at the time because she didn't understand at the time it was rape, that she was confused, and that he was a nice guy. She said she saw Weinstein afterward and he told her that what happened was to stay between him and her.

Quote:

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"I thought he was a nice person. I thought he was an OK guy," she said. "I felt confused. I felt like I wished I had never opened the door. ... I felt at the time that rape happened in a back alleyway by somebody you (didn't know)."

She said she confronted Weinstein at a restaurant two to six weeks later.

"I tried to talk to him about what happened, and I told him how I woke up and that I'd blacked out, and he said, 'That's what all the nice Catholic girls say,' " she said.

"And then he leaned into me and said, 'This remains between you and I.'

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It looks like Weinstein's lead attorney Donna Rotunno will be handling the cross examination of the alleged victims. Seems like it is the smart move to have a female questioning the females on the stand.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2020/01/23/harvey-weinstein-trial-annabella-sciorra-first-accuser-take-stand/4545257002/

Moxley said:

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Annabella Sciorra took the stand this morning. The charges in this case are not based on her accusation. She is allowed to testify because the state is attempting to prove that Weinstein is a serial sexual predator, which carries an additional sentence under state law.

She testified that Weinstein knocked on her door after dropping her off from dinner, forced his way inside, pinned her down and violently raped her. She said under cross-examination that she didn't report it at the time because she didn't understand at the time it was rape, that she was confused, and that he was a nice guy. She said she saw Weinstein afterward and he told her that what happened was to stay between him and her.

Quote:

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"I thought he was a nice person. I thought he was an OK guy," she said. "I felt confused. I felt like I wished I had never opened the door. ... I felt at the time that rape happened in a back alleyway by somebody you (didn't know)."

She said she confronted Weinstein at a restaurant two to six weeks later.

"I tried to talk to him about what happened, and I told him how I woke up and that I'd blacked out, and he said, 'That's what all the nice Catholic girls say,' " she said.

"And then he leaned into me and said, 'This remains between you and I.'

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It looks like Weinstein's lead attorney Donna Rotunno will be handling the cross examination of the alleged victims. Seems like it is the smart move to have a female questioning the females on the stand.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2020/01/23/harvey-weinstein-trial-annabella-sciorra-first-accuser-take-stand/4545257002/

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Yikes

No testicles?!

I mean, SURELY there would have been rumors of this by now if true, with the amount of women who have seen his junk. Or maybe there were but they just hadn't hit the mainstream yet? So weird.

He's got five kids.

I mean, I guess both of his exes could have been getting turkey basted with someone else's batter but you would think that may have come out by now.

Regardless, f him. Right in the ear.

The woman testifying was describing one of the more chronologically recent events. Could be possible he had some sort of medical condition / issue over the last several years that caused them to shrink.

Mann has been hammered by the defense team in a fiery cross examination. They were able to show evidence of counterintuitive behavior that will make it harder for a jury to convict on the charge related to her. The defense team grilled her on years worth of messages and emails in which she praised him nonstop and appeared to be using him to advance her career and status, at one point boasting to an adversary: "I'm blowing a super-rich Hollywood producer who could ruin you."

They were also able to show an email to the jury in which she said she wanted to sue him in civil court in California but the statute of limitations had run out, so she decided to file criminal charges in New York. The defense pointed out that a criminal conviction would reopen the door for a civil suit in California. Mann claimed not to know that was a possibility. Clearly the defense is portraying her as someone who is out for money and who used her relationship with Harvey to try to get ahead in Hollywood.

https://deadline.com/2020/02/harvey-weinstein-rape-trial-jessica-mann-psychiatric-history-private-photos-shown-to-jury-1202851381/

On rebuttal, Members of the jury were shown naked photographs of Weinstein to corroborate the testimony.

I sat across from him in a small deposition room almost a decade ago. He said something odd to me but can't remember so I guess it wasn't bad...just remember him saying I looked like someone he knew or something (I was a 20 year old girl at the time...still a girl just a bit older now lol)

Moxley said:

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On rebuttal, Members of the jury were shown naked photographs of Weinstein to corroborate the testimony.

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Bet that woke them up quick.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/07/us/harvey-weinstein-lawyer-donna-rotunno/index.html

Quote:

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In an interview Friday on The Daily podcast, Donna Rotunno, was asked whether she had ever been the victim of a sexual assault.

"I have not because I would never put myself in that position," she said on the New York Times podcast. "I've always made choices from college age on where I never drank too much. I never went home with someone that I didn't know. I just never put myself in any vulnerable circumstances ever."

"Do you believe every woman who's been sexually assaulted somehow put herself in that position -- whether it was having drinks or agreeing to go to a hotel room?" asked New York Times reporter Megan Twohey, co-author of "She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement."

"Absolutely not but just as we make smart decisions when we walk out on the street at night, I think you have to make the same decision when your putting yourself in circumstances with other people," Rotunno added.

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OMG. This is...interesting. Why on earth would she agree to do that interview?

Defense witnesses today contradicted accounts of the accusers.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2020/02/10/harvey-weinstein-trial-witness-says-jessica-mann-never-said-weinstein-raped-her-spoke-highly-of-him/4709253002/

The one from early in the day is pretty significant for the accusations surrounding Mann. The witness testified that Mann was very flirty with Weinstein, seemed very happy with him, and contradicted several things in Mann's testimony.

Mark Geragos has a podcast with Adam Carrolla. I listened to their episode from the other day and he predicted Weinstein will either walk or there will be a hung jury. Defense has cast a lot of doubt on Mann's account in particular.

The defense rested today. Weinstein did not testify.

There is a very strange schedule for closing arguments and deliberation. The defense and prosecution will have their closing arguments on separate days. The jury will have the weekend and Monday off before beginning deliberations on Tuesday.

My thoughts on this trial, just based on reading news accounts and listening to the podcast with Geragos:

- Jury selection is huge. Weinstein has a lot of men on the jury and not many younger women. That will work in his favor.

- The importance of the testimony from the early witnesses in the prosecution's case cannot be overstated. The establishment of an MO here (IMO) is going to play big to the jury. I think if he gets convicted of anything the testimony from those women will have played a huge part. The prosecution effectively used prior, non-chargeable accusations as a way to bolster the credibility of the two women who are involved in the charges here.

- I think he is more likely to be acquitted than convicted on the charges related to Jessica Mann. The defense poked a ton of holes in her account and her own emails / text messages about HW, along with testimony from a defense witness, raised a lot of doubt.

- They have effectively made the charges relating to the other accuser as a he-said-she-said situation. The defense was able to put on a witness yesterday who contradicted some of the testimony from the alleged victim.

I know a lot of people are looking for Weinstein to go down big here, but this particular case has some holes and really seems like a toss-up.

Sciorra's testimony causing some jurors confusion, one of the problems with MO testimony. They inquired as to why there were no standalone charges for her case.

Quote:

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the jury's questions certainly indicate some confusion about Sciorra's role in the trial. The Sopranos actress testified about her alleged rape by Weinstein during the winter of 1993-1994, but the statute of limitations on rape charges has expired; her testimony only pertains to two predatory sexual assault charges in the cases of Mann and Haley. Sciorra's testimony can be used to support the predatory assault charges i.e., to prove Weinstein's pattern of assaultive behavior.

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https://deadline.com/2020/02/harvey-weinstein-trial-newsweek-article-donna-rotunno-joan-illuzzi-jury-tampering-1202861995/

The predatory rape charge means there is an extra element here.

Quote:

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In order to find the defendant guilty of the two predatory charges, which carry a possible life sentence, jurors must find that Weinstein is guilty of raping or assaulting both Mann and Sciorra, and/or Haley and Sciorra. There are no stand-alone charges before the jury involving only Sciorra.

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