Harvey Weinstein doesn't plan to testify at sex crimes retrial
Share this @internewscast.com

NEW YORK (AP) — Harvey Weinstein will not take the stand in his New York sex crimes retrial, as confirmed by his lawyer on Sunday. With this decision, the jurors will soon deliberate on the case of the former movie mogul, who became a central figure in igniting the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct.

The trial is advancing to closing arguments on Tuesday, without testimony from Weinstein, Arthur Aidala mentioned Sunday night. The court is occupied with other matters on Mondays.

It’s unclear whether jury deliberations would begin Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday.

This was a significant decision for Weinstein, who has never publicly addressed the allegations in court. In previous trials in New York and California, where he was found guilty, he also refrained from testifying. Weinstein disputes the claims against him, and his lawyer, Aidala, noted that Weinstein was seriously contemplating whether to testify this time around.

While his California appeal winds on, Weinstein won a new trial in his New York rape and sexual assault case when the state’s highest court overturned his 2020 conviction.

He’s charged in New York with raping Jessica Mann in 2013 and forcing oral sex on Miriam Haley and Kaja Sokola, separately, in 2006. Mann was an actor and hairstylist, Haley a production assistant and producer, and Sokola a model who aspired to an acting career.

All three women have testified for days at the retrial, giving emotional and graphic accounts of what they say they endured from a powerbroker who suggested he’d help them achieve their show-business dreams, but then maneuvered them into private settings and preyed on them.

His attorneys have argued that anything that happened between him and his accusers was consensual.

In the U.S., defendants in criminal cases aren’t obligated to testify, and many decide not to, for various reasons. Among them: the prospect of being questioned by prosecutors.

Weinstein has been watching the New York retrial intently from the defense table, sometimes shaking his head at accusers’ testimony and often leaning over to one or another of his attorneys to convey his thoughts.

One of the lawyers, Aidala, said outside court Thursday that Weinstein thought a lot of holes had been poked in the accusers’ accounts, but that he also was pondering whether jurors would feel they needed to hear from him.

The jury has heard from a few other defense witnesses — one of them via a transcript read by court employees.

That witness, Talita Maia, testified at the 2020 trial but was unavailable this time, so jurors instead got a reading Friday of her earlier testimony. One court stenographer voiced the 2020 attorneys’ questions, while another stenographer sat in the witness box and rendered Maia’s answers, at times with emphasis.

Maia and Mann were roommates and friends in 2013 but later fell out. According to Maia, Mann never mentioned in those days that Weinstein had hurt her in any way. Both Maia and another witness, Thomas Richards, met up with Mann and Weinstein shortly after Mann has said she was raped.

Both witnesses testified that they saw nothing amiss. Richards, who was subpoenaed to appear and said he didn’t want to be seen as a Weinstein supporter, recalled Mann and Weinstein having “friendly conversation” at a meal he shared with them that day.

Mann testified earlier this month that she never told police or anyone else that Weinstein had sexually assaulted her because she didn’t think she’d be believed, and she was scared at how he might react.

Weinstein’s defense also brought in Sokola pal Helga Samuelsen, who also has friendly ties to the former producer. Samuelsen testified Thursday that Weinstein visited Sokola once and spent about a half-hour in a bedroom with her in a New York apartment the women briefly shared in 2005; Sokola told jurors no such thing happened.

The Associated Press generally does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted, but Sokola, Mann and Haley have given their permission to be identified.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Suspect, 17, arrested for murder in fatal stabbing of teenager in Queens

Teen Tragedy in Queens: 17-Year-Old Arrested for Fatal Stabbing in Shocking Murder Case

A 17-year-old has been charged with the murder of a fellow teenager,…
Netanyahu and Rubio discuss US military intervention in Iran amid ongoing nationwide protests: report

Netanyahu and Rubio Deliberate on Potential US Military Actions in Iran as Nationwide Protests Persist: Report

In a recent development, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary…
Minneapolis ICE shooting: Anti-ICE protests held across Chicago area in response to deadly federal agent shooting of Renee Good

Chicago Rallies Sparked by Fatal Minneapolis ICE Incident Involving Renee Good

Across the United States, protests erupted on Saturday as citizens voiced their…
Pope Leo baptizes 20 infants in a tradition marking the end of the Christmas season

Pope Leo’s Heartwarming Baptism Ceremony: 20 Infants Welcomed in a Cherished Christmas Tradition

Pope Leo XIV presided over the baptism of 20 infants under the…
Greenland leaders push back on Trump's calls for US control of the island: 'We don’t want to be Americans'

Greenland Stands Firm: Rejecting U.S. Control and Embracing Sovereignty Over Americanization

Greenland’s government has firmly rejected President Donald Trump’s proposal for the United…
JSO: Elderly man dead after hit-and-run on Vernon Road

Tragic Hit-and-Run on Vernon Road Claims Life of Elderly Man: JSO Seeks Public’s Help

A man was discovered on the road after being hit by an…
Street takeovers and traffic control by agitators in Minnesota cross legal lines, retired detective says

Retired Detective Highlights Legal Concerns Over Minnesota Street Takeovers by Activist Groups

Individuals disrupting traffic and hindering law enforcement efforts in Minnesota are being…
Minneapolis ICE shooting officer followed training as potentially 'deadly threat' drove at him: former agent

Minneapolis ICE Officer’s Response to ‘Deadly Threat’ Under Scrutiny: A Deep Dive into Training Protocols

In Minneapolis, a tense and tragic incident unfolded involving an immigration officer…
Crowd-for-Hire Boss Says He Wants Nothing to Do With 'Any Form of Illegal Protest' in Minneapolis

Minneapolis Crowdsourcing Leader Distances from Illegal Protests Amid Controversy

For quite some time now, it’s been evident that many so-called “protestors”…
Ann-Margret says she was 'always sad filming 'A Streetcar Named Desire'

Ann-Margret Reveals Emotional Challenges During ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ Filming

Ann-Margret’s recollections of her time on “A Streetcar Named Desire” aren’t the…
Ex-con charged in Christmas Day CVS robbery that left clerk fatally stabbed

Ex-Convict Arrested for Christmas Day CVS Heist Resulting in Clerk’s Tragic Stabbing Death

RIVERHEAD, N.Y. — On Christmas Day, 23-year-old Eddy Cine Jr., an aspiring…
Queens robbers rip North Face jackets, Jordans off people at knifepoint

Armed Robbers in Queens Target Individuals for North Face Jackets and Jordans

A pair of troublemakers from Queens recently embarked on a weeklong crime…