Harvey Weinstein is expected to stand before a Manhattan jury on Tuesday as opening statements begin in his third New York criminal trial, where he faces a charge accusing him of raping a woman.
The 74-year-old former film executive, who rose to prominence as a Hollywood producer before sexual-misconduct allegations precipitated his public fall from grace, has pleaded not guilty. He has consistently denied assaulting anyone or engaging in non-consensual sex.
This case, presided over by Justice Curtis Farber, centers on allegations that Weinstein raped aspiring actress Jessica Mann in a Manhattan hotel room. Jury selection concluded last week in Manhattan state court, and the trial is expected to run for about a month.
Weinstein’s legal history in New York includes a 2020 trial in which a jury found him guilty of raping Mann in 2013 and of sexually assaulting production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006. Those convictions and the 23-year state prison sentence imposed at that time were later overturned by the state’s highest court.
Following that decision, a subsequent Manhattan trial in June 2025 resulted in a conviction for sexually abusing Haley, while the jury acquitted Weinstein of assaulting former model Kaja Sokola. At that same 2025 trial, the jury could not reach a verdict on a third-degree rape charge alleging an assault on Mann; Justice Farber declared a mistrial on that count.
Separately, Weinstein was convicted of rape in California in 2022 and is currently serving a 16-year sentence for that conviction, which he is appealing.
Prosecutors from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, led by Alvin Bragg, assert that Weinstein leveraged his position and influence to entrap and abuse women. Defense attorneys have disputed those claims, arguing that the encounters were consensual and saying accusers manufactured accusations out of resentment after consensual relations did not produce professional advancement in the film industry.
Weinstein’s defense team has also raised concerns about his health, saying his condition has rapidly deteriorated while he awaits trial in Rikers Island jail. In relation to the earlier conviction for abusing Haley, Weinstein faces exposure to a sentence of up to 25 years in prison upon sentencing.
Court schedule and process
With opening statements scheduled to begin on Tuesday, jurors will hear both the prosecution and defense outline their cases before testimony and evidence presentation continue during a trial expected to last about a month.
What remains unresolved
The current proceeding revisits an allegation that previously resulted in a mistrial on a rape charge, while other related convictions and appeals remain active in separate jurisdictions.