:format(webp)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/entertainment/2022/10/20/latest-harvey-weinstein-trial-seats-jury-of-9-men-3-women/20221020151012-63519e05821cf083b8198fc2jpeg.jpg)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A jury of nine men and three women was seated Thursday in the Los Angeles rape and sexual assault trial of Harvey Weinstein, and opening statements are set for Monday.
They were chosen in a process that lasted about six days from a pool of 225 potential jurors who were summoned last week.
Later in the day, eight alternates were also seated and sworn in. The two sides had initially planned to have 10, but settled on eight, and quickly agreed on who they should be. One of those alternates called the court late in the day to say they could not serve. That juror might be dismissed Monday morning. The court will hear final motions on which witnesses and testimony to allow on Friday.
The trial is expected to last six more weeks.
The 70-year-old former movie mogul, who is already serving a 23-year sentence for rape and sexual assault after a 2020 conviction in New York, has pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles to four counts of rape and seven other counts of sexual assault.
Because their personal information was revealed mostly in questionnaires that remain sealed, little is known about the 12 jurors who will decide on Weinstein’s guilt. Those who were seated were asked few questions in court.
Their ages appeared to range mostly between 40 and 70. A few appeared to be older than that, and one man appeared to be in his early- to mid- 20s. Of the three women, two are older adults and one appeared to be about 30.
One of the women said during the selection process that she was “on the fence” about the #MeToo movement.
“I believe most women but not necessarily all,“ she said.
Another, an older man, has a daughter who is an attorney. “I have a great deal of respect for both sides of the table and our system of justice,“ he told one of Weinstein’s attorneys.
He expressed some doubt about whether he could find a guilty verdict in a sexual assault case with no DNA evidence, of which there is none in this trial.
“It’s kind of an ambiguous question,“ the juror said. ”It all depends on the type of assault.”
Another man said he was not worried about getting grief from family, friends or co-workers if they learned he returned a not guilty verdict against Weinstein.
___
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be registered Torstar account holder. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free)
