Jury Selection Starts in Weinstein's Third NY Assault Trial

Jury selection began Tuesday in Manhattan for the third New York trial of Harvey Weinstein, the former film producer accused of third-degree rape involving actress and hairstylist Jessica Mann in a 2013 hotel encounter. The case marks the latest chapter in Weinstein's protracted legal battles stemming from sexual assault allegations that emerged in 2017.

Prosecutors allege that Weinstein, then a powerful figure in Hollywood, assaulted Mann on March 18, 2013, at the Doubletree Hotel in Midtown Manhattan during her weekend visit to the city. Mann, who had met Weinstein while pursuing an acting career, has described a prior on-and-off consensual relationship with him but testified that she protested his advances that day, saying, "I don't want to do this," before relenting under pressure. The charge, a lower-level felony, carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison if Weinstein is convicted.

This trial focuses solely on Mann's account, differing from prior proceedings that involved multiple accusers. Weinstein's original 2020 New York conviction, which included the Mann charge and resulted in a 23-year sentence, was overturned in April 2024 by the state's highest court. The...