Jury begins deliberations in Harvey Weinstein sexual assault trial - CNN

CNN  — 

A Los Angeles assemblage volition proceed its deliberations Monday greeting successful the sexual battle trial of Harvey Weinstein, the erstwhile movie shaper who is accused of utilizing his Hollywood power to lure women into backstage meetings and battle them.

Jurors began deliberating Friday day aft proceeding the prosecution’s closing remarks, and were instructed connected the instrumentality by the judge.

“Rapists rape. You tin look astatine the pattern,” authoritative Paul Thompson told jurors, urging the radical to “find justness for these victims.”

“You person irrefutable, overwhelming grounds astir the quality of this antheral and what helium did to these women,” Thompson said.

“Do the close thing,” the lawyer added.

The defence has maintained the allegations are either fabricated oregon occurred consensually, highlighting determination is nary grounds of the allegations.

Weinstein, 70, is charged with 2 counts of forcible rape and 5 counts of intersexual battle involving 4 women; a model, a dancer, a massage therapist and a producer. He has pleaded not blameworthy to the 7 charges against him.

If the assemblage finds him guilty, Weinstein could look 60 years to beingness successful prison, positive an further 5 years.

Weinstein was convicted of a transgression enactment enactment and third-degree rape during a 2020 proceedings successful New York, and is presently serving a 23-year condemnation for those crimes. His attorneys person appealed the conviction.

Thursday marked the extremity of closing arguments from some the prosecution and defense, bringing the weekslong proceedings 1 measurement person to a verdict.

Jurors heard from astir 50 witnesses, including 4 accusers who were identified successful tribunal arsenic Jane Does owed to the quality of their allegations.

Four different women testified they faced akin behaviour astatine Weinstein’s hands. Those alleged incidents are not being charged arsenic portion of this lawsuit due to the fact that they happened extracurricular of Los Angeles County.

Midway done the trial, 4 of the archetypal 11 charges against Weinstein tied to a 5th Jane Doe were dropped without explanation.

On Thursday, defence lawyer Alan Jackson asked the jurors if they could “accept what (the Jane Does) accidental arsenic gospel,” arguing what they said was a deficiency of forensic grounds supporting their claim.

“Five words that sum up the entirety of the prosecution’s case: ‘Take my connection for it,’ ” Jackson said. ” ‘Take my connection for it that helium showed up astatine my edifice country unannounced. Take my connection for it that I showed up astatine his edifice room. Take my connection for it that I didn’t consent. Take my connection for it, that I said no.’ “

Jackson called the accusers “fame and luck seekers,” claiming they either made up their stories oregon benefited from a “transactional relationship” with Weinstein.

Jennifer Siebel Newsom, 1 of the accusers, who is simply a producer, histrion and the woman of California’s governor, testified Weinstein raped her in 2005, describing an hourslong “cat-and-mouse period” which preceded her alleged assault.

Attorneys for Weinstein bash not contradict the incidental occurred, but said helium believed it was consensual.

Jackson called the incidental “consensual, transactional sex,” adding: “Regret is not the aforesaid happening arsenic rape. And it’s important we marque that favoritism successful this courtroom.”

But successful her closing arguments spanning parts of Wednesday and Thursday, Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Marlene Martinez had argued Weinstein was a “titan” who utilized his powerfulness successful Hollywood to prey connected and soundlessness women, and highlighted the women who testified chose to bash truthful contempt knowing they would look pugnacious conditions successful court.

“The information is that, arsenic you beryllium here, we cognize the despicable behaviour the suspect engaged in. He thought helium was truthful almighty that radical would … excuse his behavior,” Martinez said. “That’s conscionable Harvey being Harvey. That’s conscionable Hollywood. And for truthful agelong that’s what everyone did. Everyone conscionable turned their heads.”

The authoritative added: “It is clip for the defendant’s reign of panic to end, and it is clip for the kingmaker to beryllium brought to justice.”