Harvey Weinstein doesn't plan to testify at sex crimes retrial

NEW YORK -- NEW YORK (AP) — Harvey Weinstein doesn't program to attest astatine his New York sex crimes retrial, his lawyer said Sunday. That means jurors soon volition get the lawsuit against the erstwhile movie workplace brag who propelled the #MeToo question against intersexual misconduct.

The proceedings volition determination connected to closing arguments Tuesday without grounds from Weinstein, Arthur Aidala said Sunday night. The tribunal handles different cases connected Mondays.

It's unclear whether assemblage deliberations would statesman Tuesday day oregon Wednesday.

It was a fraught decision for Weinstein, who didn’t attest astatine erstwhile trials successful New York and California and was convicted successful both. He denies the allegations, and Aidala has said that Weinstein was cautiously weighing whether to instrumentality the basal this time.

While his California entreaty winds on, Weinstein won a caller trial successful his New York rape and intersexual battle lawsuit erstwhile the state’s highest tribunal overturned his 2020 conviction.

He's charged successful New York with raping Jessica Mann successful 2013 and forcing oral enactment connected Miriam Haley and Kaja Sokola, separately, successful 2006. Mann was an histrion and hairstylist, Haley a accumulation adjunct and producer, and Sokola a exemplary who aspired to an acting career.

All 3 women testified for days astatine the retrial, giving affectional and graphic accounts of what they accidental they endured. They said Weinstein suggested he'd assistance them execute their show-business dreams, but past maneuvered them into backstage settings and preyed connected them.

His attorneys person argued that thing that happened betwixt him and his accusers was consensual.

In the U.S., defendants successful transgression cases aren't obligated to testify, and galore determine not to, for assorted reasons. Among them: the imaginable of being questioned by prosecutors.

Weinstein has been watching the New York retrial intently from the defence table, sometimes shaking his caput astatine accusers’ grounds and often leaning implicit to 1 oregon different of his attorneys to convey his thoughts.

Aidala said extracurricular tribunal Thursday that Weinstein thought a batch of holes had been poked successful the accusers' accounts, but that helium besides was pondering whether jurors would consciousness they needed to perceive from him.

The assemblage has heard from a fewer different defence witnesses — 1 of them via a transcript work by tribunal employees.

That witness, Talita Maia, testified astatine the 2020 proceedings but was unavailable this time, truthful jurors alternatively got a speechmaking Friday of her earlier testimony. One tribunal stenographer voiced the 2020 attorneys' questions, portion different stenographer sat successful the witnesser container and rendered Maia's answers, astatine times with emphasis.

Maia and Mann were roommates and friends successful 2013 but aboriginal fell out. According to Maia, Mann ne'er mentioned successful those days that Weinstein had wounded her successful immoderate way. Both Maia and different witness, Thomas Richards, met up with Mann and Weinstein soon aft Mann has said she was raped.

Both witnesses testified that they saw thing amiss.

Mann testified earlier this period that she ne'er anyone astatine the clip that Weinstein had sexually assaulted her due to the fact that she didn't deliberation she'd beryllium believed, and she was frightened astir however helium mightiness react.

Weinstein's defence besides brought successful erstwhile Sokola pal Helga Samuelsen, who has affable ties to the erstwhile producer. Samuelsen testified Thursday that Weinstein visited Sokola erstwhile and spent astir a half-hour successful a chamber with her successful a New York flat the women concisely shared successful 2005; Sokola told jurors nary specified happening happened.

The Associated Press mostly does not sanction radical who accidental they person been sexually assaulted, but Sokola, Mann and Haley person fixed their support to beryllium identified.