Prosecutors and defence attorneys in New York have to find 12 jurors and 6 alternates to hear the rape and sexual assault case against the disgraced producer.
- Jan 8, 2020
AceShowbiz - More than a third of potential jurors quizzed on Tuesday, January 7 for the Harvey Weinstein trial in New York had to be dismissed after declaring they cannot be impartial.
The disgraced movie mogul is facing five criminal charges for rape and sexual assault, relating to separate incidents with two different women in 2006 and 2013.
Jury selection at Manhattan Supreme Court began on Tuesday, when roughly 120 people were asked about their ability to only judge the case on the evidence presented at trial - and not on the intense media coverage the case has already received.
Out of the pool, 43 admitted they would not be able to weigh the case fairly, with one woman confessing she would find Weinstein guilty without hearing any of the prosecution's evidence, reports Variety.
Of those remaining, 36 were given questionnaires to fill out to further determine eligibility, after Justice James Burke informed them that if selected, they must steer clear of all news reports of the case, avoid the press, and not discuss the proceedings on social media, over the phone, or via email for the duration of the trial, which is expected to last between six to eight weeks, concluding on or around March 6, 2020.
Prosecutors and defence attorneys are tasked with finding 12 jurors and six alternates to hear the case, which was further complicated on Monday as Los Angeles authorities announced they had filed four new sex crime charges against Weinstein.
The legal development prompted the fallen producer's attorney, Arthur Aidala, to request a trial delay, insisting a "cooling off period" was necessary to ensure a fair trial, but his motion was denied by the judge.
Weinstein, 67, has pleaded not guilty to the New York charges.
He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, despite facing a mountain of sexual misconduct allegations, insisting all of the encounters were consensual.
