Harvey Weinstein doesn't plan to testify at sex crimes retrial
Share and Follow


NEW YORK (AP) — Harvey Weinstein doesn’t plan to testify at his New York sex crimes retrial, his lawyer said Sunday. That means jurors soon will get the case against the former movie studio boss who propelled the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct.

The trial will move on to closing arguments Tuesday without testimony from Weinstein, Arthur Aidala said Sunday night. The court handles other cases on Mondays.

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

It was a fraught decision for Weinstein, who didn’t testify at previous trials in New York and California and was convicted in both. He denies the allegations, and Aidala has said that Weinstein was carefully weighing whether to take the stand this time.

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 testified for days at the retrial, giving emotional and graphic accounts of what they say they endured. They said Weinstein 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.

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.

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

Weinstein’s defense also brought in former Sokola pal Helga Samuelsen, who 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 and Follow
You May Also Like
Joe Rogan warns America is sliding toward 'bona fide civil war'

Joe Rogan Raises Alarm: Is America on the Brink of Civil Conflict?

Joe Rogan has issued a stark warning, suggesting that the United States…
Moment boy is perp walked into Florida jail after 'writing kill list'

Florida Teen Arrested: Shocking ‘Kill List’ Discovery Leads to Jail Walk

An 11-year-old student found himself in a Florida jail after allegedly crafting…
Blue state judge releases murder suspect without making him pay a cent in bail, despite gang allegations

Judge in Democratic-leaning state releases murder suspect on zero-bail, amidst gang-related accusations

Controversy has erupted in California as a judge’s decision to release a…
South Loop's Game Changer: Inside 'The 78,' Chicago Fire Stadium, ABC7 Tanja Babich visits Overflow coffee at 14th and Michigan

South Loop Transformation: A Look Inside ‘The 78’ Featuring Chicago Fire Stadium and ABC7’s Tanja Babich’s Visit to Overflow Coffee at 14th and Michigan

CHICAGO — Our latest Coffee Chat Series made its debut in Chicago’s…
How Cheryl Hines overcame 'pain' of husband RFK Jr.'s sexting scandal

Cheryl Hines Opens Up About Navigating Challenges After RFK Jr.’s Scandal

Cheryl Hines has subtly addressed her husband Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s sexting…
Eddie Murphy survived fame with sanity marking 50 years in showbiz

Eddie Murphy Celebrates 50 Years in Showbiz: How He Maintained Sanity Amidst Fame

Eddie Murphy is back in the spotlight, continuing to bring laughter to…
China moves into Venezuela as Maduro regime gets Beijing lifeline amid US tensions

China Strengthens Ties with Venezuela: A New Chapter as US Relations Strain

Venezuela’s Maduro accuses US of starting ‘eternal war’ Daniel Di Martino, a…
Turning Point USA: Fights break out, multiple people arrested as event sparks protest at UC Berkeley, California

Protests Erupt at UC Berkeley Event Hosted by Turning Point USA, Leading to Arrests

BERKELEY, Calif. — Turning Point USA concluded its nationwide campus tour on…