Harvey Weinstein’s Criminal Trial Starts Monday – Here’s What to Expect
Harvey Weinstein’s criminal trial in New York County’s Supreme Court will begin on Monday — over two years after The New York Times and The New Yorker first broke stories about the disgraced movie mogul’s behavior toward women.
The entire trial, including jury selection, is expected to last eight weeks, a spokesperson for the New York State Unified Court System told The Wrap. On the first day, Jan. 6, Justice James Burke, the presiding judge, will outline an approximate schedule for the trial. Jury selection will begin on Tuesday and is expected to last about two weeks. Once the jury has been set, the trial will begin with opening statements.
Weinstein, who pleaded not guilty at his first indictment in August, faces five felony counts: two counts of predatory sexual assault, one count of first-degree criminal sexual assault, one count of first-degree rape and one count of third-degree rape. The charges stem from accusations by Mimi Haleyi and a still-unnamed woman for encounters they say occurred in 2006 and and 2013.
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In addition, three other accusers are expected to testify in the courtroom, including Annabella Sciorra, the actress who has accused Weinstein of raping her 26 years ago. While Weinstein cannot be charged for any activity connected to Sciorra’s accusations, since they fall outside of New York state’s statute of limitations, her testimony could be used to strengthen the district attorney’s case against Weinstein by showing a pattern of predatory behavior.
A representative for Time’s Up told The Wrap last week that the organization does not have any “ground activations” planned at the moment in response to the trial, but an online petition has been launched for anyone looking to share words of support to survivors taking the stand.
“We would not be in this historic moment without the courage and conviction of these survivors, who risked everything — their jobs, their careers, and their personal sense of security — to call out sexual assault and harassment and begin to expose behavior that workers for generations have silently endured,” Tina Tchen, the president and CEO of Time’s Up, told The Wrap. “Before they came forward, the scope and magnitude of the problem was hidden. Two years later, they have ignited an unstoppable movement for change that cannot be ignored.”
Also Read: LA District Attorney Is Reviewing 8 Accusations of Sexual Misconduct Against Harvey Weinstein
The criminal trial is not connected to the tentative $25 million settlement that Weinstein and The Weinstein Company (and its insurers) recently reached with more than 30 of his accusers.
In addition, Weinstein still could face prosecution in Los Angeles, whose district attorney is reviewing eight accusations of sexual misconduct against the former producer. Although two accusations were filed in the last few months, most have been under review since early 2018 — two of the Beverly Hills cases were submitted in January 2018, followed by a third in June of that year. Three of the LAPD cases were submitted in February 2018.
No criminal charges have been filed in L.A., and there is no timetable for when a decision might be made on whether charges will or won’t be filed.
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