'It will be clear throughout this trial that the defendant knew he was praying on naïve and inexperienced [women],' prosecutors said.
He has denied all of the charges. His defense team plans to use what they say are friendly messages between Weinstein and his accusers, exchanged after the incidents, to show that the women did not harbor ill will toward the producer, contrary to their assertions.
In a packed courtroom, a jury composed of seven men and five women listened as Hast recounted what she said was Weinstein's behavior towards Sciorra early on in her career. Weinstein is accused of sending her a gift basket shortly after meeting her that contained a few old movies, some popcorn and"a bottle of Valium."
This week, Weinstein's lawyers lost a last-ditch effort from an appeals court to relocate the criminal proceedings to a different jurisdiction. They had tried to argue that in New York their client would not be able to receive a fair trial.
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