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Harvey Weinstein has been on trial again since April 15 for allegations of sexual abuse. Right at the beginning, part of the jury decided not to be part of the process and thus caused a scandal. Here is the background at an overview.
Why does the process come again?
In 2020, Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison for rape and sexual coercion. In April 2024, however, the conviction was repealed by the Supreme Court of the State of New York because procedural errors are said to have been made in the original process. In the current re -admission procedure, three women are intended to testify against the former film mogul who accuse him of rape and sexual abuse.
Reactions to the identity of the accused
As “Bild” reports, Weinstein personally appeared in the courtroom on the first day of negotiations. Because of his health problems, he was pushed into the room with a wheelchair. However, as soon as his name was named and was recognizable, who was in the process, according to reports, a “murmur” went through the room.
To understand: The jury, consisting of twelve jury and six replacement juror: Inside, do not know in advance who it should later judge. In this case, the members therefore partially explained as soon as they recognized who they had to judge that they could not make this impartial. The responsible judge then dismissed them.
Is neutrality possible at all?
Among them was also the actor Mark Axelowitz, who explained when leaving the court building: “I don’t like the guy, he is really a worse guy.” Another jury is said to have stated that they themselves have become victims of sexual violence, which makes it impossible for her to evaluate the negotiation impartially. And another person who was also supposed to judge, according to “Bild”, questioned whether in this case one could be impartial in this case.
The new constellation of the juror: Inside is only chosen in the course of April 16 and has not yet been publicly known.
Harvey Weinstein, together with his brother Bob Weinstein founder of the film production and rental company Miramax, was once one of the most powerful managers in the US film industry. From 2017, numerous women will accuse of rape and sexual assault against him-a trigger of the #Metoo movement. His current detention is based on comparable offenses in this process, for which he was condemned in Los Angeles.