TheSpiderNews
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A Los Angeles jury will begin its fourth day of deliberations Wednesday in the sexual assault trial of former movie producer Harvey Weinstein, who is awaiting a verdict while already serving time for a rape conviction in New York.
Jurors began deliberations Friday and have deliberated for about 11 hours so far today. They will resume on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. PT (12:30 p.m. ET).
Weinstein is accused of using his Hollywood influence to lure women into private meetings and assault them. In Los Angeles he is facing two counts of forced rape and five counts of sexual assault involving four women – a model, a dancer, a massage therapist and a producer. Weinstein pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
If the jury finds Weinstein guilty, the 70-year-old former film producer could face 60 years to life in prison, plus an additional five years.
Midway through the trial, four of the original 11 charges against Weinstein related to Jane Doe Fifth were dropped without explanation.
The weeks-long trial included testimony from the four defendants identified as Jane Doss in court, and dozens of witnesses, including experts, law enforcement, friends of accusers and former Weinstein aides.
In addition, four women testified that they were subjected to similar incidents by Weinstein in other jurisdictions.
During their testimony, all the accusers were asked to tell the details of their claims against Weinstein, to provide details about meetings with the producer from years ago and to explain their reactions to the alleged assaults.
Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a filmmaker and wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom – identified by her lawyers as Jane Doe 4 – alleged that Weinstein raped her in a hotel room in 2005.
In her closing arguments Wednesday, Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Marlene Martinez called Weinstein a “titan” who used his power in Hollywood to prey on and silence women.
“Rapists are rapists. You can look at the pattern,” associate prosecutor Paul Thompson told jurors.
“You have irrefutable, overwhelming evidence about the nature of this man and what he did to these women,” Thompson said.
Meanwhile, Weinstein’s lawyers have argued that the allegations are fabricated or were consensual as part of a “dealing relationship” with the film’s producer, and have repeatedly said there is no evidence of assault.
Attorney Alan Jackson called the accusers “seekers of fame and fortune.”
Weinstein is already serving a 23-year sentence after being convicted of felony sexual assault and third-degree rape during a 2020 trial in New York. His lawyers appealed the conviction.
Each morning during his trial in Los Angeles, Weinstein was brought from a correctional facility and entered the courtroom wearing a suit and tie and holding a notebook.
His accusers all began their often emotional testimony by recognizing him in the courtroom looking at him.
“He’s wearing a suit, and a blue tie and he’s staring at me,” Sybil Newsom said last month, before what was some of the most emotional testimony jurors heard during the trial.
On Thursday, attorney Jackson asked jurors if they could “take what (Jane does) say as gospel,” arguing that what they said was a lack of legal evidence to support their case.
“Five words that sum up the entirety of the prosecution’s case: ‘Take my word for it,'” Jackson said. “‘Take my word for it that he showed up in my hotel room unannounced. Believe me I got to his hotel room. Take my word for it that I didn’t agree. Take my word for it, that I said no.'”
Sibel Newsom described an hours-long “cat and mouse period” that preceded the alleged assault. She, like other accusers, described feeling “frozen” that day.
Weinstein’s lawyers do not deny the incident took place, but said he believes it was consensual.
Jackson called the incident “consensual and transactional sex,” adding: “Remorse is not the same as rape. And it’s important that we make that distinction in this courtroom.”
Women’s rights attorney Gloria Allred, who represents Jane Doe 2 in the case, told TheSpiderNews she hopes the jury finds her client had “no motive at all to do anything but tell the truth.”
“She never asked for or received any compensation… She no longer lives in California. But she is testifying because she was asked to testify and I hope she is seen as the young woman she was when she met Harvey Weinstein, and the woman she is today about nine to 10 years later More. Her life changed,” Allred said.
“To be willing to subject yourself to what can be a very brutal cross-examination. It takes a very special person to do that. And she is a special person. I’m very proud,” Allred said.
In her closing arguments, Martinez also emphasized that the women who testified chose to do so despite knowing they would face harsh conditions in court.
“The truth is, as you sit here, we know the despicable behavior that the defendant engaged in. He thought he was so powerful that people … would forgive his behavior,” Martinez said. “It’s just Harvey being Harvey. It’s just Hollywood. And for so long that’s what everyone did. Everyone just turned their heads.”
