Harvey Weinstein's Chair Moved After He's Accused of Staring Down Jury in Rape Trial - The Daily Beast

Harvey Weinstein was forced to determination his spot astatine his Los Angeles enactment crimes proceedings connected Wednesday aft a sheriff’s lawman said helium was staring astatine the jury.

The 70-year-old connected proceedings for allegedly sexually abusing 5 women betwixt 2003 and 2014 was improperly sitting astatine the defence table—allowing him to look straight astatine the 12 individuals successful the assemblage box, according to The Wrap. The alleged staring occurred arsenic the archetypal of the 8 women acceptable to attest against Weinstein said helium raped her wrong a Beverly Hills edifice country successful 2013.

The assault, she said, included Weinstein forcing her to execute oral enactment earlier helium made her spell into the bathroom—where helium attempted to penetrate her vagina with his fingers and penis earlier yet masturbating aft having “trouble with an erection.” The woman, identified successful tribunal arsenic Jane Doe 1, said that Weinstein threatened her afterward, telling her: “You don’t cognize me.”

Weinstein’s lawyer connected Wednesday insisted their lawsuit was not doing thing incorrect and asked the justice to let him to enactment seated alongside the array due to the fact that his wheelchair took up a batch of space. The petition was denied and Weinstein was forced to determination retired of the jury’s oculus line, though The Wrap reported helium astir instantly resumed staring their way.

A Weinstein spokesperson deed backmost astatine claims that the toppled Hollywood titan was intentionally staring astatine anyone.

“Harvey is wheeled successful with help, helped by the guards oregon lawyers into a stationary chair, and that is wherever helium sits,” Juda Engelmayer told The Daily Beast connected Thursday. “He is trying to not marque oculus interaction with the jury; helium is acrophobic to look astatine them and feels uneasy astir it, imagining what they mightiness beryllium reasoning astir him.”

The spokesperson added that Weinstein “has been feeling confident, but uneasy” astir his 2nd sex-crimes trial. Engelmayer went connected to suggest prosecutors were utilizing issues—like Weinstein staring astatine jurors—to bolster their lawsuit portraying Weinstein arsenic a almighty antheral who systematically assaulted women and attempted to soundlessness them.

Already convicted of enactment crimes successful New York, Weinstein is serving a 23-year condemnation successful the Empire State—though the lawsuit is connected appeal.