Harvey Weinstein's Retrial to Begin: Everything You Need to Know

The jury selection for disgraced media mogul Harvey Weinstein’s retrial is to begin on Tuesday in New York, nearly a year after the state’s highest court overturned his 2020 rape and sexual assault convictions.

Weinstein, 73, was originally sentenced to 23 years in prison for assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haley in 2006 and raping former actor Jessica Mann in 2013. In April 2024, the New York Court of Appeals ruled that the trial judge had allowed improper testimony, including from a woman whose allegations were not part of the case, leading to the convictions being vacated.

The retrial includes the original charges and a new one: a woman, not named publicly, has accused Weinstein of forcing oral sex on her in a Manhattan hotel in 2006. The charge was added after a judge ruled in September 2024 that it could be incorporated into the current case, despite objections from Weinstein’s lawyers.

Also Read: Mammootty’s ‘Bazooka’ Rocks Box Office on Vishu Day

Weinstein has pleaded not guilty and denies all allegations, maintaining that any sexual encounters were consensual.

Jury selection is expected to last several days, with Judge Curtis Farber overseeing the process. Roughly 80 potential jurors will be questioned in groups, with the goal of selecting 12 jurors and six alternates. Opening statements are expected next week.

Even if Weinstein is acquitted in New York, he will remain in prison. In 2022, he was convicted in Los Angeles of raping an actor in 2013 and sentenced to 16 years. That sentence is to be served after the New York term. His lawyers are appealing the Los Angeles conviction, arguing the now-overturned New York verdict influenced the sentencing.

Weinstein has been held at Rikers Island since 2020 and has ongoing health issues, including cancer and heart problems.

Also Read: Sunny Deol’s ‘Jaat’ Storms Box Office with ₹40 Crore Haul