Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assault and rape retrial in New York was set for Wednesday-morning opening arguments after a jury of seven women and five men was seated Tuesday in a Manhattan criminal court.
It’s the first female-skewed jury Weinstein will face across three trials. Seven men and five woman convicted the disgraced movie mogul at his first New York trial five years ago; the Los Angeles jury that found him guilty in late 2022 was made up of nine men and three women.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys were still rounding out six alternates on Tuesday, likely pushing opening statements to Wednesday or beyond, the AP reported Wednesday.
Jury selection began last Tuesday. New York prosecutors are trying Weinstein again after the state’s Court of Appeals overturned his 2020 conviction last year, ruling that improper testimony and rulings tainted his trial.
Now 73, Weinstein has pleaded not guilty and denies that he raped or sexually assaulted anyone. He is also appealing a 2022 rape conviction in Los Angeles, where a 16-year prison sentence still stands, which has allowed New York authorities to hold him while they re-set their own case.
Two charges from his original trial will be retried, stemming from incidents in 2006 and 2013. He also is charged with a third criminal sex act count, involving a woman who was not a part of the original trial and alleges Weinstein forced oral sex on her at a Manhattan hotel.
The new trial is expected to last for several weeks. Weinstein won the right last week to remain in the prison wing of Bellevue Hospital for the duration of the trial after his lawyers argued the harsh conditions at Rikers Island were contributing to his worsening health.
