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Harvey Weinstein's Trial Has Begun. Here's What You Need To Know

In a few weeks, Harvey Weinstein could be handed down a life sentence.

As his rape trial began in earnest on Wednesday, it remained an open question how the former Hollywood mogul would answer for the kind of accusations that kicked off the Me Too movement more than two years ago. Prosecutors have spent almost the same amount of time building a case against Weinstein in New York state, where he currently stands accused of multiple counts of rape.

Opening statements from both sides followed a weeks-long jury selection process that was, at times, quite tense. Almost right from the start, Weinstein sparked anger from New York State Supreme Court Judge James Burke for appearing in court with four cellphones in violation of a no-phone rule that applied to everyone in the room.

Despite Weinstein’s attorney’s best efforts to get a new judge and a new venue by claiming that the current ones were hopelessly biased, the trial will proceed as planned in lower Manhattan. Yet Weinstein seemed optimistic.

Asked Wednesday whether he thought he would have a fair trial, he responded, “Of course.”

Here’s what you need to know about the case.

Harvey Weinstein arrives at the Manhattan Criminal Court on Jan. 22 for opening arguments in his rape and sexual assault trial in New York City. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
Harvey Weinstein arrives at the Manhattan Criminal Court on Jan. 22 for opening arguments in his rape and sexual assault trial in New York City. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)

What is Weinstein accused of doing?

The case centres on two women and two separate incidents.

On March 18, 2013, a woman whose identity has not been made public says Weinstein trapped her at a DoubleTree hotel in midtown Manhattan and raped her. Court documents state that Weinstein held her “physically against her will in a room and engaged in sexual intercourse with [her] by forcible compulsion,” adding that “at the time of the incident [she] had clearly expressed her lack of consent to the act.”

On July 10, 2006, former production assistant Mimi Haleyi says Weinstein forced her to accept oral sex at his Manhattan townhouse. She had worked on a TV series produced by The Weinstein Company and was eager to have a professional relationship with Weinstein due to his status in the industry. The alleged assault came after months...

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