Weinstein ponders over the decision to take the stand in his sex crimes trial's re-examination
UPDATED: NEW YORK (AP) - After nearly five weeks of presenting evidence against Harvey Weinstein in his sex crimes retrial, the defense began calling its own witnesses this week. However, it remains unclear whether Weinstein himself will take the stand to testify.
Discussions about Weinstein's potential testimony are ongoing, with his lawyers examining the pros and cons over the weekend and into the evenings, as reported by attorney Arthur Aidala outside court. Aidala noted that there is no easy answer regarding Weinstein's decision.
If Weinstein chooses to testify, he would be making a notable and potentially risky legal move in the years-long saga of the former Hollywood power broker turned #MeToo outcast. At 73 years old, Weinstein is facing rape and sexual assault charges that he denies. His attorneys assert that any interactions between Weinstein and his accusers were consensual.
Weinstein had not testified at his first trial or during a separate rape trial in Los Angeles, wherein he was also convicted and has appealed the verdict. Most defendants in U.S. criminal cases decline to testify, as they are constitutionally entitled to remain silent, and jurors are instructed not to interpret this silence negatively. Testifying also invites pointed questioning from prosecutors.
So far, Weinstein has watched the New York retrial intently from the defense table, occasionally shaking his head and conversing with his lawyers. This past Thursday evening, he and his legal team were still deliberating whether to take this significant step.
"He thinks that the evidence in this trial has been challenged very forcefully, and that many of the complainants' stories have been torn apart," said Aidala after court Thursday. Nonetheless, there is a prospect that he may feel compelled to share his side of the story in a 'he-said, she-said' case.
The defense started presenting witnesses late Wednesday, with a physician-pharmacist discussing a medication mentioned in testimony. On Thursday, jurors heard from Helga Samuelsen, a former apartment mate of one of Weinstein's accusers, who alleges that Weinstein forced oral sex on her.
According to Samuelsen, she never talked to the accuser about the visit where Weinstein allegedly entered their apartment. Samuelsen met Weinstein briefly in 2005 and later sought his help as she sought to launch a music career. He made some introductions and invited her to write an unused movie score, while she formed a cabaret act with a woman close to him around 2019. Samuelsen now works in insurance in Denmark.
Throughout the prosecution's phase of the trial, Weinstein's lawyers have shown a keen interest in raising doubts about the credibility and accuracy of their witnesses, particularly his three accusers in this case: Sokola, Miriam Haley, and Jessica Mann. All three women were attempting to build careers in show business and claim that Weinstein preyed upon them with employment prospects. Mann alleges he raped her in 2013, while Haley and Sokola accuse Weinstein of forcing oral sex on them in 2006 and 2007, respectively.
Related Stories:
- Utah man seriously injured in 90-foot jump at popular Oregon waterfall
- Forecasters predict years of extreme heat - be prepared
- Tragic crash during driving lesson leaves father dead
- Secret Service agents disciplined for altercation outside Obama's D.C. home
- Bob's Red Mill store sale: Not Clackamas County
- Amidst the ongoing retrial of Harvey Weinstein for sex crimes, a Utah man was seriously injured in a 90-foot jump at a popular Oregon waterfall, as reported in general news.
- As the weather heats up, forecasters predict extreme heat conditions for the upcoming years, encouraging everyone to be prepared for such conditions, as mentioned in a weather forecast.
- In a tragic turn of events, a father was killed during a driving lesson, generating news in the crime and justice category.
- Separately, Secret Service agents faced disciplinary action following an altercation outside former President Obama's home in Washington D.C., as reported in political news. In an unrelated matter, Bob's Red Mill announced that their store sale would not be located in Clackamas County, under the business section.
