Studying Time: 3 minutes
Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein was again in courtroom at the moment for the beginning of a retrial after a New York appeals courtroom overturned his authentic 2020 conviction.
Weinstein is already in prison, serving 16 years for a 2022 rape conviction in California.
The retrial stems from allegations made by the 2 authentic accusers — Miriam Haley and Jessica Mann — in addition to a 3rd girl, Kaja Sokola, whose account was simply heard in courtroom for the primary time at the moment.
Yet one more Weinstein accuser comes ahead
Sokola is a former mannequin from Poland who alleges that Weinstein forcibly carried out oral intercourse on her in 2006.
Based on Page Six, the alleged assault happened in Weinstein’s Manhattan lodge room, the place he’d lured Sokola “with the promise of film scripts.”
Sokola additionally alleges that Weinstein molested her at his condominium 4 years earlier when she was simply 16. Prosecutors will not be pursuing prices associated to that declare, as a result of statute of limitations.
Sokola’s allegations had been added to the case after Weinstein’s earlier conviction was overturned.
Assistant District Legal professional Shannon Lucey instructed jurors that Weinstein used “dream alternatives as weapons” to prey on the plaintiffs.
“The defendant wished their our bodies, and the extra they resisted, the extra forceful he obtained,” she stated.
Lucey instructed the courtroom that Weinstein “held the golden ticket: an opportunity to make it, or not.”
He has been formally charged with raping Mann and forcing oral intercourse on Haley and Sokola.
Whereas Web page Six describes at the moment’s courtroom as “packed,” the outlet additionally notes that Weinstein’s most up-to-date trial will not be practically as huge a narrative because the earlier two had been.
All through Weinstein’s first trial, protestors gathered exterior the courthouse and heckled the defendant with chants of “rapist,” which may very well be heard inside.
“This time, there was none of that,” the outlet reported at the moment.
The change is little question partially because of cultural modifications which have taken place because the begin of the #MeToo motion.
But it surely might need extra to do with the truth that Weinstein’s case is just outdated information, as most observers have concluded that the ailing 73-year-old will possible die in jail whatever the end result of this newest trial.
Nonetheless, evidently Weinstein has not given up hope that he’ll sooner or later stroll free. And for his accusers, the will for justice is little question as robust at the moment because it was after they first got here ahead.
We’ll have additional updates on this growing story as new data turns into obtainable.
