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Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein was again in court docket right this moment for the beginning of a retrial after a New York appeals court docket overturned his authentic 2020 conviction.
Weinstein is already in jail, 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 court docket for the primary time right this moment.
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.
In accordance with Web page Six, the alleged assault happened in Weinstein’s Manhattan lodge room, the place he’d lured Sokola “with the promise of movie scripts.”
Sokola additionally alleges that Weinstein molested her at his residence 4 years earlier when she was simply 16. Prosecutors will not be pursuing expenses 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 informed jurors that Weinstein used “dream opportunities as weapons” to prey on the plaintiffs.
“The defendant wanted their bodies, and the more they resisted, the more forceful he got,” she mentioned.
Lucey informed the court docket that Weinstein “held the golden ticket: a chance 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 right this moment’s courtroom as “packed,” the outlet additionally notes that Weinstein’s most up-to-date trial will not be almost as massive 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 right this moment.
The change is little doubt partially on account of cultural modifications which have taken place for the reason that begin of the #MeToo motion.
Nevertheless it might need extra to do with the truth that Weinstein’s case is solely previous information, as most observers have concluded that the ailing 73-year-old will doubtless die in jail whatever the consequence of this newest trial.
Nevertheless, evidently Weinstein has not given up hope that he’ll someday stroll free. And for his accusers, the need for justice is little doubt as sturdy right this moment because it was after they first got here ahead.
We’ll have additional updates on this creating story as new data turns into accessible.
