Harvey Weinstein remains in prison after his 2020 conviction and a separate California case. He now faces a third New York rape trial, as his repeated attempts to escape accountability continue.
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Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced Hollywood mogul, infamous for his role in the #MeToo movement, is shaking up his legal team just as he heads into his third New York rape trial. This time, he’s bringing in some big guns: lawyers with celebrity ties and a history of high-profile cases.
Weinstein has parted ways, at least in the courtroom, with longtime lawyer Arthur Aidala. The veteran attorney will now focus solely on Weinstein’s appeals and civil matters. Taking the reins in the trial are Jacob Kaplan, Marc Agnifilo, and Teny Geragos, all partners at the Manhattan firm Agnifilo Intrater.
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According to court filings, this new team is stepping in for the third trial, which revolves around a rape allegation by hairstylist and actor Jessica Mann at a Manhattan hotel back in 2013.
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Kaplan isn’t new to Weinstein’s world. He was part of the original defense team in 2018 and is expected to play a leading role again. Meanwhile, Agnifilo and Geragos bring a track record of defending celebrities and wealthy clients in serious criminal cases, including Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, in which they achieved acquittals on sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
Their roster also includes the Mangione brothers in a murder case and the Alexander brothers in a sex trafficking trial.
In a hearing earlier this year, Weinstein claimed he “never assaulted anyone” and spoke about his broken spirit after nearly six years behind bars. His spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, insisted that the new legal team represents “a recalibrated outlook and strategic approach” to tackle the trials ahead.
Yet to the public, it may look like yet another move by a man determined to avoid full accountability for his crimes.
Weinstein’s New York legal saga is nothing if not dramatic. His first trial in 2020 ended with convictions for raping Mann and forcing oral sex on Miriam Haley. But New York’s highest court threw those out last year, saying the jury heard evidence of unrelated allegations, tainting the verdict.
The retrial in 2022 was a mess. Weinstein was convicted of forcing oral sex on Haley, acquitted of similar charges on Kaja Sokola, and the jury couldn’t even decide the rape charge involving Mann because the foreperson refused to participate.
Infighting, juror fatigue, or confusion? Whatever the reason, Weinstein was quick to blame it on “bullying and tainted deliberations,” a claim Judge Curtis Farber rejected, reminding him: “You had a fair trial.”
Now, with the third trial looming, Weinstein’s strategy seems to be rolling the dice with a new team while attempting to capitalise on past jury dysfunction. But it’s hard to ignore the pattern: repeated accusations, multiple trials, and a seemingly endless effort to dodge the consequences of his actions.
Kaplan, Agnifilo, and Geragos are no strangers to complicated, high-stakes cases. They’ve successfully defended clients in federal and state trials, even taking on terrorism charges and steering clear of the death penalty.
But in Weinstein’s case, the stakes are personal and reputational. The trial, postponed from March 3, hasn’t been rescheduled yet. The authorities expect Weinstein in court on March 4 for a status conference, but the exact timeline for the third trial remains uncertain.
Prosecutors have warned it could take up to five weeks, even with just one accuser this time.
Weinstein has been behind bars since his initial conviction in 2020. He’s also serving time from a separate California case, which he is appealing.
The unresolved rape charge involving Mann carries a maximum of four years in prison, less than the time he has already served, while the conviction for Haley’s assault could mean up to 25 more years.
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