Five years after securing a conviction against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, Manhattan prosecutors returned to court Wednesday to once again make their case — this time, to a new jury.
Weinstein, once a dominant figure in film and television, is accused of using his influence to sexually assault three women. Prosecutor Shannon Lucey told jurors that Weinstein dangled career opportunities in front of the women, only to use their ambitions against them. “He used those dream opportunities as weapons,” Lucey said.
According to Lucey, Weinstein targeted:
- Miriam Haley, a former TV production assistant, who says he assaulted her in 2006;
- Jessica Mann, an aspiring actress, who alleges rape in 2013;
- Kaja Sokola, a model, who says she was assaulted in a Manhattan hotel in 2006.
“The more they resisted, the more forceful he got,” Lucey told the jury.
This is the second time Weinstein is being tried in Manhattan. His 2020 conviction — which included rape and criminal sexual act charges — was overturned last year by New York’s highest court. The court ruled that the original trial was unfair due to testimony from women whose allegations weren’t directly part of the case and lacked physical evidence.
Weinstein had been serving a 23-year sentence from that conviction. He has also been convicted of sex crimes in California and faces time there as well.
As Lucey outlined the prosecution’s case, jurors listened closely. Weinstein, seated in a wheelchair and dressed in a dark suit, appeared attentive.
Later, defense attorney Arthur Aidala painted a very different picture. He argued that Weinstein had consensual relationships with the women and that they sought his favor because of his industry power. Though not a typical leading man, Weinstein was “charismatic,” Aidala said.
“The casting couch is not a crime scene,” he told jurors, admitting Weinstein had affairs but denying any use of force. “There’s a big difference between immorality and illegality,” he added.
In the courtroom sat two women who testified in the 2020 trial — Tarale Wulff and Dawn Dunning — whose testimonies were excluded this time. They reacted visibly as Aidala referred to the accusers as liars and opportunists.
Weinstein’s team is expected to challenge the consistency of the accusers’ stories using past emails, testimony, and communications. Prosecutors, meanwhile, plan to call corroborating witnesses and experts to explain why survivors may stay in contact with their abusers or delay reporting.
The first witness, Stefan Sterns — a former personal assistant to Weinstein — testified Wednesday. He recalled seeing Haley’s name on internal call logs and spotting her at the Mercer Hotel in 2006, though he said he wasn’t present for any meeting between her and Weinstein.
The trial is expected to run for about six weeks, with proceedings continuing Thursday morning.
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