Harvey Weinstein has a legitimate victory in a retrial of rape and sexual assault in Manhattan.
The former Hollywood powerbroker will be transferred from the infamous New York City Lockup to Bellevue Hospital. Weinstein will be allowed to stay at Kip Bay Hospital until the end of the trial.
“If you don’t, it could lead to even worse medical conditions and even more serious medical conditions, and perhaps death,” state Supreme Court Judge Paul Getz said in his decision.
The office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile, dozens of people were screened as potential ju apprentices for Weinstein’s rape retrial on Thursday, but the selection concluded with a few slots still not being satisfied. The selection will pause on Good Friday and resume on Monday.
The panel began taking shape on Wednesday when five women and four men were selected for the redo of the Landmark #Metoo-ERA Trial. More than 140 other future ju apprentices were then brought to court on Thursday to begin the multi-stage selection process.
Like in previous rounds, about two-thirds raised their hands to schedule conflicts, indicating that they felt unfair and unbiased due to the nature of the cases and large-scale news coverage.
Even one who didn’t raise his hand quickly had a second thought, informing the judge that he was not sure that he could ignore everything he had read about the case over the years without listening to it. Judge Curtis Farber let her go.
In the end, about 50 people moved to the next stage where they had questions Thursday afternoon.
Court Day ended before entering into detailed enquiries about their occupation, life experience, and the views of the #MeToo movement. Ju judge’s choices will resume on Monday in compliance with Good Friday. Still, one woman volunteered to Farber to be involved in the news business, but vowed to avoid reading about the incident if chosen. She will be asked further questions to determine whether she should be excused.
Weinstein, an Oscar-winning producer and former Hollywood power broker, is accused of raping two different women (an aspiring actor and production assistant) on separate occasions. He is also charged with forcing another woman to have oral sex.
Weinstein, 73, pleaded not guilty. He says all his sexual experiences have been agreed.
The allegations about him appeared publicly in 2017, promoting the #MeToo movement for sexual misconduct, leading to multiple prosecutions. The former film mogul was convicted of rape at his first New York trial in 2020. Two years later, he was convicted in Los Angeles on another rape charge that he also denied.
His New York conviction and 23 years in prison were subsequently overturned by the state’s Supreme Court last year. The reversal led to a retrial in which the charges and expected evidence differed slightly from the original exam.
The prosecutor and defense attorney choose 12 ju apprentices and six alternatives.
Farber oversees the painstaking process. The nine selected ju umpires so far were whittled by around 140 people who conducted their first screening earlier this week.
Future ju apprentices may be exempted for a variety of reasons, ranging from language barriers to previous experience or opinions on the person or issue in the case. Additionally, prosecutors and defense attorneys have limited opportunities to eliminate potential ju apprentices without giving reasons.
The opening statement is scheduled to begin Tuesday.
The Associated Press contributed.
