Harvey Weinstein's retrial for sex crimes starts in New York
What's the story
Former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein's trial for sexual assault charges began again on Tuesday (local time) with jury selection.
The proceeding began in a lower Manhattan courtroom, where Weinstein is accused of assaulting three women.
As the trial began, some 140 potential jurors were initially seen in Judge Curtis Farber's courtroom. Only about 40 were left by the end of the day after many were dismissed for expressing doubts about their ability to remain impartial.
Previous convictions
Weinstein's New York conviction was overturned last year
This is Weinstein's third trial in a little over five years. He was earlier convicted of two felony sex crimes in New York in 2020 and three counts in California two years later.
But last year, an appeals court overturned his New York conviction, saying it improperly allowed witness testimony describing alleged sexual misconduct not charged in the indictment.
This voided Weinstein's 23-year sentence.
Testimonies
New witnesses expected in Weinstein's trial
In the ongoing trial, jurors will hear from two alleged victims who testified in 2020: former actor Jessica Mann and ex-production assistant Miriam "Mimi" Haley.
Another accuser, whose existence was revealed by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg last September, alleges that Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him in a hotel in 2006.
Outside court, Lindsay Goldbrum, a lawyer for this unnamed accuser, said her client wants the jury to uncover the truth.
Plea
Weinstein pleads not guilty as jury selection continues
Notably, Weinstein, who has pleaded not guilty, has remained at Riker's Island pending retrial. He has been treated for bone marrow cancer and underwent emergency heart surgery last year.
Despite his health issues, Weinstein was seen as lively and alert at the hearing last week, answering the queries of Judge Farber and conferring with his legal team.
Judge Farber had said jury selection could take five days.
Downfall
Weinstein's downfall and the #MeToo movement
Weinstein, a former Hollywood titan who helmed projects such as Pulp Fiction, Good Will Hunting, Shakespeare in Love, and The English Patient, saw the downfall of his career after two massive stories in The New York Times and The New Yorker in 2017.
Both reports detailed Weinstein's history of alleged sexual misconduct, naming several accusers willing to go on record.
The expose sparked the #MeToo movement and saw Weinstein get fired from The Weinstein Company, which filed for bankruptcy afterward.