Harvey Weinstein, the former movie studio executive at the center of the #MeToo movement, has chosen not to testify in his ongoing New York sex crimes retrial, according to statements from his attorney, Arthur Aidala.
The trial is set to progress to closing arguments on Tuesday, following Weinstein’s decision to forgo giving his own testimony.
Due to court scheduling, the jury may either begin deliberations on Tuesday afternoon or wait until Wednesday.
Weinstein faces serious charges, including the rape of Jessica Mann in 2013 and forcing oral sex on Miriam Haley and Kaja Sokola on separate occasions in 2006.
The testimonies of the three women have been harrowing, with each providing detailed and emotional accounts of the alleged assaults they faced at the hands of Weinstein.
The accusers described how Weinstein had initially led them to believe he would assist in advancing their careers, only to manipulate situations to isolate them and commit his offenses.
Weinstein’s defense counters that any interactions between him and the accusers were entirely consensual.
Defendants in U.S. criminal cases are not mandated to testify, and many, like Weinstein, choose to remain silent for various reasons, including the potential for intense questioning by prosecutors.
Throughout the trial, Weinstein has been attentive from his seat at the defense table, frequently shaking his head during the accusers’ testimonies, and conferring with his legal team.
Aidala indicated on Thursday that Weinstein had seen significant discrepancies in the accusers’ narratives but was also weighing the implications of jurors wanting to hear directly from him.
The defense has presented several witnesses, including reading the transcript of testimony from Talita Maia, who was unable to appear in person.
During the reading, it was disclosed that Maia, who was a roommate of Mann’s in 2013, asserted that Mann never mentioned any incidents of sexual assault involving Weinstein during their time together.
Both Maia and another witness, Thomas Richards, affirmed that they encountered Weinstein and Mann shortly after the alleged rape but noticed nothing unusual.
Mann has previously testified that she did not come forward about the assault at the time due to fears about being believed and concerns over Weinstein’s possible reactions.
Additionally, the defense enlisted Helga Samuelsen, a former friend of Sokola, to testify.
Samuelsen claimed that Weinstein had visited Sokola once, spending around half an hour alone in a bedroom of a New York apartment they shared in 2005, a point contested by Sokola herself who denied such an encounter occurred.
The Associated Press generally withholds the names of individuals who allege sexual assault, but in this case, Sokola, Mann, and Haley have all consented to the release of their identities.
With the closing arguments set to commence soon, all eyes will remain on the courtroom as this high-profile retrial draws closer to its conclusion.
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