NEW YORK CITY (NBC) – Jury selection is set to start Tuesday in the rape and sexual assault case against Harvey Weinstein.
The disgraced former filmmaker hobbled out of court in New York City after recent back surgery.
The judge denied a request to sequester the jury, with Weinstein’s lawyers arguing jurors could be tainted if charges are filed elsewhere during the trial.
Weinstein is charged with raping one woman and sexually assaulting another. They’re allegations he vehemently denies, pleading not guilty and insisting any contact was consensual.
Weinstein’s attorney Donna Rotunno said, “Here we are, looking at a circumstance where she [prosecutor] stands up in front of a court and calls my client a predator. Mr. Weinstein, again, has a right to a fair trial. I think she believes he’s convicted already. That’s not how this works.”
Jury selection could take as long as two weeks. The trial is expected to last six weeks.
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