NATIONAL NEWS – Harvey Weinstein’s trial begins in New York with opening statements and new witnesses

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

Opening statements for the recent  Harvey Weinstein trial have begun in New York. In that case, Weinstein is charged with assaulting three women, one is a former production assistant, along with an actress. Both of them testified against Weinstein in his trial that took place in 2020. The third woman’s identity has not yet been made public. He is charged with two counts of criminal sexual assault in the first degree and one count of third-degree rape. 

Weinstein’s 2020 conviction in New York was overturned by an appeals court last year after the jury was privy to evidence from a number of witnesses alleging sexual misconduct that was not included as part of the indictment. Manhattan’s District Attorney Alvin Bragg has announced that he would also retry Weinstein with additional testimony from new witnesses. This trial is more of a test of the prosecutor’s ability to persuade a jury that Weinstein is guilty, with three women accusing him directly under oath.