Weinstein sex assault trial opens in Los Angeles
Jury selection began in the Los Angeles trial of disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, with five alleged victims expected to take the stand during the two-month case.
The 70-year-old "Pulp Fiction" producer is already serving 23 years in jail in New York after being convicted there of a series of sex crimes.
He now faces 11 more charges, including sexual battery by restraint, forcible rape and forcible oral copulation against women in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles hotels between 2004 and 2013.
If convicted, Weinstein -- who has pleaded not guilty to all counts -- could be sentenced to more than 100 additional years behind bars.
A crowd of journalists gathered outside the downtown Los Angeles court where the one-time Hollywood power player had been ordered to appear.
Widespread sexual abuse and harassment allegations against Weinstein exploded in October 2017, and his conviction in New York in 2020 was a landmark in the #MeToo movement.
In June, he lost a bid to have that sex crimes conviction overturned. He has also been separately charged by British prosecutors with the 1996 indecent assault of a woman in London.
In total, nearly 90 women, including Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Salma Hayek, have accused Weinstein of harassment or assault.
The Los Angeles Times quoted Weinstein attorney Mark Werksman as saying there would be testimony from well-known figures.
