Will a radically changed America find Weinstein guilty a second time?

Disgraced film mogul’s lawyers bet on changed political landscape as trial rerun begins

- Edward Helmore

Harvey Weinstein goes back on trial in New York this week in a rerun of the #MeToo-era case in which the disgraced movie mogul was convicted of sexual criminal assault in the first degree and rape in the third degree, but acquitted on three other counts, including the most serious charge, predatory sexual assault.

The legal drama begins with jury selection that is expected to last up to a week. It puts one of the biggest victories of the #MeToo era back in the courtroom just as a backlash against women’s rights from abortion access to the rise of controversial male influencers such as Andrew Tate unfolds across the US.

Weinstein’s 2020 conviction was overturned in April last year after an appeals court ruled that the judge had unfairly allowed testimony from women whose allegations were not part of the charges against him.

The new case against the 73-year-old producer will probably be an abridged version of the original, with one crucial difference: it includes a new charge based on an allegation from a woman who was not part of the first prosecution.

Additionally, Weinstein was convicted of rape in Los Angeles, which he is appealing against in part over testimony from uncharged alleged assaults. Weinstein continues to plead not guilty to all charges.