Jury selected for Harvey Weinstein's retrial; opening statements expected soon
22 Apr 2025

A jury of seven women and five men has been selected for Harvey Weinstein's retrial on rape and sexual assault charges in New York.

As per AP, this new jury is much more female than the one that convicted Weinstein five years ago.

The retrial's opening statements are expected to begin by Wednesday as prosecutors and defense lawyers are finalizing the last of six alternate jurors.

Diverse backgrounds represented in jury selection
Jury composition

The 12 main jurors, selected from Manhattan's jury pool, come from diverse professions.

They include a physics researcher, a photographer, a dietician, an investment bank software engineer, and a retired city social worker.

They were selected after being extensively questioned about their backgrounds, life experiences, and whether they could remain impartial in this high-profile case.

Prosecutors and defense lawyers finalized jury selection
Selection process

The jury selection process continued to day four on Monday, with three more jurors and five alternates being selected.

Throughout the process, potential jurors were questioned about their backgrounds and experiences to determine their ability to be fair and impartial.

Defense attorney Mike Cibella asked one prospective juror if hearing sexual allegations would lead her to presume Weinstein's guilt, to which she answered no.

Prosecutor sought assurances on jurors' impartiality
Juror assurance

Prosecutor Shannon Lucey sought assurances from potential jurors that they could set aside any feelings they may have about the #MeToo movement.

The movement was sparked in 2017 by several sexual misconduct allegations against Weinstein.

Lucey asked the panel of 24 potential jurors if they could separate their views on the movement from the case at hand, to which all indicated they could.

Weinstein's retrial follows overturned conviction and 23-year sentence
Retrial details

Weinstein's retrial comes after New York's highest court overturned his 2020 conviction and 23-year prison sentence last year.

The Court of Appeals determined that improper rulings and prejudicial testimony had tainted his trial.

The 73-year-old Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to the charges and denies any allegations of rape or sexual assault.

Charges against Weinstein in the retrial
Charges

The retrial includes claims that Weinstein raped an aspiring actor at a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 and forced oral sex on a movie and TV production assistant in 2006.

He also faces another charge, based on an allegation by a woman not involved in the original trial, who claims Weinstein forced oral sex on her at a Manhattan hotel.