On Monday, January 6th, Harvey Weinstein’s criminal trial will begin in New York City. As Megan Twohey, Jodi Kantor and Jan Ransom write in The New York Times, this moment feels like it’s been in the works for a while: someone who abused his power and caused vast amounts of pain being held to account for his actions.
But for all that the trial can seem like a referendum on Weinstein’s actions, the article’s authors note that its scope is more specific than that. They write that “for all the expectations about the high-profile trial, the jurors will be hearing a narrow legal case, with an already-fraught back story and a highly unpredictable result.”
More specifically, they write that the case’s scope is very focused, due in part to New York’s statute of limitations. “Mr. Weinstein is accused of forcing oral sex on a film production assistant and raping another woman, who is still anonymous, her story not publicly known,” the authors write. Three additional witnesses who have also accused Weinstein of abuse are also set to testify.
A group of 24 of Weinstein’s accusers issued a statement last week. The Los Angeles Times published it; it concluded with a pair of sentences that focus on exactly why Weinstein’s trial is so important.
This trial is critical to show that predators everywhere will be held accountable and that speaking up can bring about real change. We refuse to be silenced and will continue to speak out until this unrepentant abuser is brought to justice.
The Times article notes that Weinstein’s trial is expected to take 2 months, with the first 2 weeks largely focused on jury selection. Both for the profile of the case and for the implications of it, this will be one to watch.
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