Harvey Weinstein is in court in Los Angeles (Picture: AFP)
Jury selection in Harvey Weinstein’s sexual abuse trial has started in Los Angeles.
The disgraced Hollywood producer is already serving 23 years behind bars in New York after being convicted of rape.
He is facing 11 further charges of abuse, including allegations of assault and rape.
The 70-year-old is alleged to have sexually assaulted five women in separate incidents spanning nearly a decade, from 2004 to 2013.
All five accusers, known as Jane Does, are expected to testify, along with other women who will testify over his alleged behavior.
He has denied all claims against him and could face 140 additional years in prison in California if found guilty.
He is facing allegations of sexual assault (Picture: AFP)
Weinstein was one of the most powerful figures in Hollywood before dozens of women accused him of sexual assault in October, 2017.
This sparked the MeToo movement where millions of people around the world came forward to share their own experiences of sexual assault against their attackers.
Two years later, the former movie mogul was convicted of rape and sexual assault, in February, 2020, and is currently serving a sentence of more than two decades.
He is currently serving 23 years in prison (Picture: Reuters)
However, it was recently confirmed that he had been granted an appeal by New York State of Appeals Chief Judge Janet DiFiore.
The bombshell ruling set the stage for oral arguments to be made next year, a court spokesperson told NBC News.
‘I am so grateful to my attorneys for working hard and smart on this,’ Weinstein said through a spokesperson. ‘Their hard work will help me prove my innocence in the end.’
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The judge’s decision ‘acknowledged the unique legal issues in this case’, his lawyer Arthur Aidala added to the outlet.
‘We are hopeful the entire court will find that Mr Weinstein did not receive a fair trial and reverse his conviction.’
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He is currently serving a 23-year sentence in New York.
