NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Opening statements are set for Wednesday in former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein鈥檚 , this time with a majority-female jury deciding the landmark #MeToo case.
After a dayslong selection process yielded a , prosecutors and Weinstein鈥檚 lawyers finished choosing a sixth and final alternate on Tuesday. Alternates step in if a member of the main panel can鈥檛 see the trial through.
The main jury is more female than the five women and seven men who five years ago. The verdict marked a signature moment for the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct, which had been fueled in 2017 by a slew of allegations against Weinstein, then a high-flying movie producer of a string of Oscar winners including 鈥淧ulp Fiction鈥� and 鈥淪hakespeare in Love.鈥�
But in a reversal that , New York鈥檚 highest court last year and . The court found that the original trial judge allowed prejudicial testimony. That judge鈥檚 term expired in 2022, and he is no longer on the bench.
Weinstein, 73, has pleaded not guilty and denies raping or sexually assaulting anyone.
Drawn from Manhattan鈥檚 jury pool, the 12 members of the main jury for the New York retrial include a physics researcher, a photographer, a dietitian, a therapist, an investment bank software engineer and a fire safety director. Others have experience in real estate, TV commercials, debt collection, social work and other fields.
One has a high school equivalency degree. Others have master鈥檚 degrees. Some have served as jurors or grand jurors multiple times before; others, never.
Hundreds of other potential jurors were excused for reasons ranging from language barriers to strong opinions about Weinstein 鈥� 鈥渢he first word that came in my head was 鈥榩ig,鈥欌�� who was soon let go.
Those chosen were quizzed about their backgrounds, life experiences and various other points that could relate to their ability to be fair and impartial about the highly publicized case.
鈥淵ou may hear sexual allegations here of a salacious nature 鈥� graphic, perhaps. Would hearing that indicate that 鈥� Mr. Weinstein must be guilty?鈥� defense attorney Mike Cibella asked one prospective juror on Monday. The woman, who ultimately was chosen, answered no.
Prosecutor Shannon Lucey sought assurances that prospective jurors could put aside any position or feelings they had about the #MeToo movement.
鈥淚s there anyone who is going to think of the movement and think, 鈥極K, that鈥檚 just something that I have to keep in the back of my mind when I鈥檓 deciding this case鈥�? Everyone can put that aside?鈥� Lucey asked a group of 24 possible jurors. All indicated they could do so.
Weinstein鈥檚 rape and sexual assault retrial involves accusations from three women: an aspiring actor who said he raped her in 2013, and two women who made separate allegations of forced oral sex in 2006. One of the two .
Meanwhile, Weinstein is challenging a separate in Los Angeles.
Jennifer Peltz, The Associated Press
