Although former Hollywood mogul and convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein’s position in a Los Angeles, Calif., courtroom was reportedly changed this week to prevent him from looking at the jury, he apparently found a way to continue doing so.
“Weinstein moved back alongside his attorney – then pushed his chair back and continued to stare at the jury,” said a report in The Wrap. According to the outlet, Weinstein’s wheelchair positioned alongside a table and angled in a way that allowed him to stare directly in to the jury box.
“Before Jane Doe 1 was brought in for a morning cross-examination session, lawyers struck up a discussion about Weinstein’s seating position,” The Wrap said. Eventually, a sheriff’s deputy noticed what was going on, “and sheriff’s department policy is not to allow defendants to look directly at the jury,” it added.
“Weinstein is charged with forcible oral copulation, sexual penetration by foreign object and forcible rape of Jane Doe 1,” in 2013 according to an indictment cited by CNN. She is identified as a model and actress who was married and had three children at the time of the assault.
Sexual abuse allegations against Weinstein, who is now 70, first gained widespread media attention five years ago when a piece by Ronan Farrow was published in The New Yorker. This piece served as a catalyst for the #MeToo movement.
In 2020, Weinstein was found guilty in New York of first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison and appealed. During Weinstein’s time in prison, his deteriorating health was reported on by The Hollywood reporter, and he has used a wheelchair since at least 2020, according to Page Six.
Following the New York trial, he was extradited to California to face more charges.
Per CNN, eight women are set to testify in the current trial against Weinstein. He has pleaded “not guilty to 11 charges based on allegations of sexual assault at Los Angeles hotels between 2004 to 2013,” said the outlet.
The trial began Monday with opening statements in addition to Jane Doe 1, another three women are expected to testify. Other women who allege they were assaulted by Weinstein outside of Los Angeles jurisdiction are also expected to testify, said CNN.
Previously, Variety reported that the jury “will be comprised of nine men and three women, many of whom said they didn’t hold strong (or any) opinions about the #MeToo movement.”
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