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A NEW YORK judge has threatened to jail Harvey Weinstein for using his mobile phone in court.
“Mr Weinstein, is this really the way you want to end up in jail… by texting and violating a court order?” Judge James Burke said, cutting off the accused Hollywood producer before he could answer.
He made the comments as prosecutors requested that bail be revoked and the 67-year-old jailed while the trial is ongoing.
Weinstein, who recently underwent back surgery and hobbled into court using a walking frame, is charged in New York with raping a woman in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 and forcibly performing a sex act on another woman in the city in 2006. Weinstein claims any sexual activity was consensual.
The judge overseeing the sexual assault trial has ordered jury selection to begin as scheduled, rejecting a defence request for a “cooling-off period” after prosecutors in Los Angeles brought new charges against the fallen movie mogul.
Judge Burke, sitting in New York, denied a request for the delay after Weinstein’s lawyers questioned the timing of the new charges, which were filed on Monday.
“For a prosecutor, this is Christmas morning – the morning of jury selection to have him smeared everywhere,” said one of Weinstein’s lawyers, Arthur Aidala, who asked for the delay in jury selection.
The judge also denied a request from prosecutors to revoke Weinstein’s bail and jail him until the trial is over, saying the new case against him in Los Angeles increased his incentive to flee.
“There is a grave risk that this defendant will realise at some point that the evidence is overwhelming,” said assistant district attorney Joan Illuzzi.
Scores of potential jurors were summoned for a selection process that could take weeks, given the heavy publicity surrounding the case and the way Weinstein has been cast as the chief villain of the MeToo movement.
Once one of Hollywood’s most powerful producers, Weinstein has now been accused of sexual assault, harassment and misconduct by dozens of women, from famous actresses to assistants at his former company.
The allegations began surfacing publicly in October 2017 and sparked the MeToo movement, as well as investigations in multiple places.
Los Angeles prosecutors charged Weinstein on Monday with sexually assaulting two women there on successive nights during Oscars week in 2013.
Lawyers for Weinstein had no immediate comment on the new charges, though he has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Los Angeles district attorney Jackie Lacey said the timing of the charges was unrelated to the New York trial.
She said the case took more than two years to build because the women were reluctant to provide all the information necessary, and the filing happened on the first business day when all the necessary people could gather.
There is some connection between the cases. One of the Los Angeles accusers is expected to give evidence in the New York case to help prosecutors establish what they say was Weinstein’s pattern of forcing himself on young actresses and women trying to break into Hollywood.
Weinstein is expected to appear in court in California after his New York trial, Ms Lacey said.
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Its a start. Its shocking that legally protected discrimination based on marital status and sexual orientation still exists in publicly funded institutions.
Agreed, I’m just shocked that the starting point is as described above.
What about born or newly required disability rampant out there in Irish society!!!!
Discrimination of workers in any type of bodies should not be allowed anymore, why limit ourselves to state funded?!
I have just recently became the latest causality of discrimination, I worked as a sales assistant for a well known chain of garages/shops on the grounds of disability. I had been working for them since 2004. After a nasty fall in 2008 I had been unfit for work, however in 2010 myself and gp felt that I could return to work part time, however this became a bit of a battle with their doctor who felt I would not be fit to return to work regardless what my gp felt. I constantly requested meetings each time ending with a visit to their doctors, when I again requested a meeting Jan 2013 sent to a corporate physical therapy place in town they upheld I would not be fit to do the job, even quoting what laws under the equality act I was covered. Finally I got a meeting with hr dept who flew in from england, asking for 4 hoursa day and not to lift heavy objects. I came away with a gut feeling I was going to lose my job. They knew I had other health issues when I was employed in 2004. The fall in 2008 compounded all together, however I could work in a support role, they did not feel the same judging I got the minutes of the meeting and dismissed from the 12th march 2013. Went to a solicitor who guided me on the direction to take regarding claiming unfair dismissal. This takes nearly two years, I will get just a basic statuary entitlements, I was told the laws protects the employer but different laws protecting private and public when did this happen? Aren,t we all citizens of Ireland?
Again the public services well provided for even in the laws of our land, where and how difficult will it be for a 53 year old woman now add disability the private sector need to lobby as hard if not harder to obtain the same deals and I call them deals because. If you take a closer look the public sector it includes politicans , judges, doctors and all in this sector, they really take home the best wages, pensions and now their legal rights, wow
Why did you oppose FF’s Bill, tabled by Averil Power, Senator? It was more comprehensive than this.
This is definitely a great start.
However, amending the constitution or laws does not necessarily mean that discrimination will evaporate into nothingness. Institutionalized discrimination is what follows a forced change in organizational culture when forced to cease discrimination. Therfore, change requires education, counseling and monitoring.
Sorry, remind me again, what year is this?
‘Kids, bullying is wrong. Everybody is different and we should respect those differences. Now please close your eyes while we fire Mrs Jones for being gay.’
Why do we even allow religion any more? Stalin had the right idea: we should ban all religions and every other so-called ethos
Yeah because the communist ethos worked out so well, didn’t it.
Tom. If u were to ban religion that would be discrimination to the person that wants to practise it.
Because making things we disagree with illegal is illiberal, unfair and wrong. Next question please, this one was easy.
Yea. Stallin. Wonderful role model. Sweet Jesus.
What about discrimination BY public sector workers?
Eg the refusal of HSE staff to perform civil marriages on Saturday.
If Labour truly represents “workers by hand or brain”, it needs to widen its focus from gender issues.
Don’t you mean discrimination IN FAVOUR of public sector workers……but that is a whole other discussion…….. :)
As long as religion is taught on schools it will be very difficult to decouple the two. If you want a strong sporting ethos in your school you employ sporty teachers, same would apply for a religious ethos.
Ivana you are one of the few politicians that I’m proud of!
To be fair, you would hardly expect a Roman Catholic school to employ a non-Catholic to teach religion in one of it’s schools? The Irish Constitution protects and promotes religion. Though that is the only example I can think of where this preference may be justified. In my humble opinion. Sounds ludicrous in a hospital setting. It also seems unjust for teachers other than religion. I presume Catholic and Protestants etc teach the same Geography.
Depends if your north or south of the boarder
In Ireland the lines are blurred though, as so many schools here are paid for and mostly run by the State, but technically owned by the Catholic Church or Orders. I think it’s important state-funded schools especially cannot discriminate…
Fantastic stuff, Ivana. I can’t tell you how impressed I am. :-(
Yep – let us get rid of privilege and discrimination Ivana – first of all start at the top. End the ridiculous privileges that are a remnant of ancient deference. Like those that allow universities to appoint members to the senate.
Excellent article Ivana.
have your say