NEW YORK — Closing statements will proceed on Wednesday in the retrial of Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced music executive, with the decision ultimately resting with the jury.
Weinstein, 73, decided not to testify.
He’s charged with assaulting three women more than a decade ago.
The Manhattans District Attorney’s office over the past weeks has called two dozen witnesses over the duration of the trial to testify in the case.
During their closing arguments, the two parties presented contrasting approaches that are scheduled to wrap up on Wednesday. Arthur Aidala, Weinstein’s attorney, took a lighthearted approach with humorous anecdotes and dramatic flair, at times mimicking the behavior of witnesses, while arguing that Weinstein’s actions were part of a consensual “courtship,” not criminal offenses. On the other hand, prosecutor Nicole Blumberg was straightforward and urged the jury to concentrate on the challenging testimonies of Weinstein’s accusers.
“What happened was not a mere ‘courtship’ as claimed by Mr. Aidala. This was not a mere ‘transaction,'” she emphasized to the jurors. “This was not about casual intimacy. This was about sexual assault.”
Weinstein had his original 2020 conviction overturned after an appeal was filed by his legal team.
The sex crimes trial put a spotlight on alleged forcible sex acts from as far back as 2006 on two women, and the rape of Jessica Mann in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013.
Prosecutors say he used his power, dangling career advancement persuading the women into rooms where he overpowered and sexually assaulted them.
Weinstein’s lawyers argued his accusers enjoyed a “mutually beneficial relationship.”
Weinstein has denied all allegations and pled not guilty to the charges he faces.
The movie star remains in prison as he was also convicted in Los Angeles in 2022 of another rape.
(Some information from the Associated Press)
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