Jury

June 3 (UPI) — Closing arguments got underway Tuesday after former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein‘s legal defense team rested in the retrial of his vacated rape conviction in New York.

The retrial began six weeks ago with Weinstein, 73, charged with rape and sex crimes against three women accusers, who accused him of attacking them while in Manhattan between 2006 and 2013.

He had been convicted of rape and criminal sexual assault by a New York jury five years ago and was sentenced to 23 years in prison.

An appellate court overturned the conviction a year ago with a 4-3 ruling due to a trial judge improperly allowing “irrelevant” and “prejudicial” testimony and other evidence.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said his office would refile charges against Weinstein.

The current trial accuses Weinstein of two counts of first-degree criminal sexual act and one count of third-degree rape.

A jury of seven women and two men likely will begin deliberations by the end of the day on Tuesday.

Prosecutors have argued Weinstein used his position in Hollywood to control the three alleged victims, who were trying to find work in television and film.

His accusers are Miriam Haley, Jessica Mann and Kaja Sokola, who testified against Weinstein and said they were young and seeking careers in Hollywood with Weinstein’s help.

Prosecutors brought 24 witnesses before the court to testify against Weinstein, whose legal team has argued his accusers engaged in consensual acts.

The witnesses included former assistants to Weinstein; relatives and friends of his accusers; and hotel workers at locations where he is accused of assaulting the alleged victims.

None of the witnesses who triggered the appellate court’s ruling overturning Weinstein’s conviction testified in the current trial.

Weinstein also did not testify in the current or prior trial. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

If found guilty on any of the charges, Weinstein likely will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Even if found innocent, Weinstein would remain imprisoned for his 2022 conviction on similar charges in a separate case in California. His legal team has appealed that conviction.

Weinstein’s downfall significantly contributed to the rise of the #MeToo movement in 2017 after The New York Times and the New York Daily News reported details of the accusations against him.

Others formerly accused of sexual misconduct include actor Kevin Spacey, comedian Louis C.K., and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Rapper and music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs is being tried in federal court in Manhattan on similar charges.

May 13 (UPI) — A federal grand jury in Wisconsin has indicted Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, whose arrest last month on allegations of helping a migrant evade federal arrest prompted dozens of legal professionals to accuse the Trump administration of trying to intimidate the judiciary.

Dugan was charged in a two-count indictment on Tuesday.

The court document accuses her of knowingly concealing a person whose arrest warrant had been issued in order to prevent their apprehension, and corruptly endeavoring to influence, obstruct and impede the administration of law enforcement.

UPI has contacted her legal representation for comment.

FBI agents arrested Dugan on April 25 for allegedly misdirecting federal agents to allow Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented migrant, to evade arrest earlier that month.

According to the affidavit supporting her arrest, Dugan was presiding over an April 18 hearing involving Flores-Ruiz in a domestic abuse case when agents arrived to arrest him over his immigration status.

After confronting federal agents in the court’s hallway, she is accused of escorting Flores-Ruiz and his counsel out of her courtroom.

Flores-Ruiz was able to leave the courthouse, but then led federal agents on a foot chase before being taken into immigration enforcement custody.

The development comes amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.

During the increased law enforcement targeting of undocumented immigrants, the Trump administration rescinded a Biden administration policy prohibiting immigration enforcement action in or near courthouses.

While the previous administration said such arrests hindered the administration of justice, the current administration has argued that the policy “emboldened criminal illegal aliens” and being able to make arrests at courthouses “is common sense.”

The arrest of Dugan was met with swift condemnation from those in the legal profession, who viewed it as another Trump administration attack on the judiciary.

More than 140 retired state and federal judges sent Attorney General Pam Bondi a letter earlier this month condemning what they described as attacks against judges who do not rule in the Trump administration’s favor.

“The intent to intimidate Judge Dugan and the judiciary is clear from the circumstances of Judge Dugan’s arrest,” the group said.

“The circumstances of Judge Dugan’s arrest make it clear that it was nothing but an effort to threaten and intimidate the state and federal judiciaries into submitting to the Administration, instead of interpreting the Constitution and laws of the United States.”

Dugan has been temporarily removed from her duties by the Wisconsin Supreme Court following her arrest.