Mel Gibson to Testify Against MeToo Accused Harvey Weinstein: Actor Mel Gibson might be referred to as to testify in opposition to Harvey Weinstein on the producer’s upcoming Los Angeles rape trial, a decide dominated on Friday. Prosecutors wish to name the actor to help the allegations of Jane Doe 3, who claims that Weinstein sexually assaulted her after she gave him a therapeutic massage at his resort in 2010, stories Variety. According to Deputy District Attorney Marlene Martinez, the girl later advised Gibson in regards to the incident throughout a therapeutic massage, and Gibson’s testimony would assist buttress her allegation.Also Read – New Sexual Assault Charges Against Harvey Weinstein After he Recovers From COVID-19
Judge Lisa B. Lench allowed prosecutors to name Gibson to the stand. She additionally denied a protection request that they be allowed to ask Gibson about racist and anti-semitic statements he has made over time. But the protection will likely be allowed to ask whether or not Gibson holds a grudge in opposition to Weinstein. The protection argued that Gibson has in poor health will towards Weinstein courting from the discharge of ‘The Passion of the Christ’, which was extensively seen to play on anti-semitic themes. Also Read – Harvey Weinstein, 68, Gets Coronavirus in Prison Serving 23 Years of Sentence For Rape And Sexual Assault
Weinstein later revealed a guide, Perspectives on the Passion of the Christ, that challenged the movie. “This created a feud between Mr Gibson and Mr Weinstein,” argued Mark Werksman, Weinstein’s legal professional. When Werksman inaccurately claimed that the movie received an Oscar for finest image, Weinstein gestured no along with his arms and with a glance of disdain. Werksman additionally argued that Gibson is “now trying to rehabilitate his image by becoming a champion of the #MeToo movement. Also Read – Harvey Weinstein Hospitalised Due to Chest Pain After Receiving 23-Years of Imprisonment in Landmark #MeToo Case
According to the attorneys, Gibson told investigators that Jane Doe 3 had a ‘PTSD reaction’ when he brought up the name ‘Harvey’ during a massage. Gibson was talking about Weinstein in the context of a business deal. The woman stopped the massage, started crying and “gave the idea that Weinstein sexually assaulted or groped her,” Werksman mentioned.
Werksman argued that he must be allowed to confront Gibson about his anti-semitic tirade that adopted his 2006 arrest, in addition to an anti-semitic remark he allegedly as soon as made to Winona Ryder and different racist statements. “How is it relevant if he’s racist toward African Americans or Latinos?” Lench requested.
“It goes to his unwillingness to grant equal status to someone who is not of his ilk. He has a white-supremacist view,” Werksman responded. “Someone with white-supremacist values might have no problem perjuring himself against a Jewish defendant.” Lench finally permitted the protection to ask Gibson about any animosity towards Weinstein. “I’m not going to let you get into his different feedback that will point out his normal demeanor about, as you say, ‘people who are not of his ilk,’” she said.
“I will allow you to question him about whether or not there is personal animosity between the two of them.” The judge later allowed the defense to state the name of a book, “Naked Massage,” that Jane Doe 3 was trying to publish with Weinstein’s assist. The court docket spent the primary half of the day discussing Jane Doe 1, an Italian mannequin who alleges that Weinstein raped her on the Mr C resort in the course of the Los Angeles Italia Film Festival in February 2013. The protection argued in opposition to the prosecution’s intention to make use of so-called “fresh complaint” witnesses for every of the 5 alleged victims and 4 “prior bad acts” witnesses.
Weinstein’s lawyer Alan Jackson proposed that the prosecution restrict its use of contemporary complaints a” statements made by a sufferer inside a brief time frame after a criminal offense a” to 1 per alleged sufferer, and none for the uncharged witnesses. “I don’t believe there’s any case law that suggests they get to pile on fresh complaint witnesses in multiples,” Jackson mentioned, later including. “It dilutes the evidence. I think it’s a waste of time. I think it’s improper. I think it dilutes Mr Weinstein’s due process.”
Describing it as “Energizer Bunny prosecution,” Jackson mentioned the introduction of contemporary complaints has “far more prejudice than value.” Jackson referenced calls Jane Doe 1 made to one of many witnesses, Lubov Smirnova, saying: “Something terrible happened.” The “vague statement” isn’t a contemporary criticism, Jackson argued: “None of those have the specificity to rise to a fresh complaint. It’s prejudicial.” Lench dominated that each complaints made to Smirnova are admissible, along with a criticism made to Jane Doe 1’s daughter Maria C.
Lench will permit the protection to current pictures into proof of Jane Doe 1 posted on social media, together with since-deleted kickboxing footage that he argued may name into query her skill to beat or escape a menace. Although Lench agreed with Deputy District Attorney Paul Thompson that the road of questioning may perpetuate a rape fantasy.
Jackson later argued that the prosecution declare that Jane Doe 1 “did not say anything about his scrotum or testicles in her first two interviews” was factually unfaithful. He cited three interviews with LAPD Detective Javier Vargas and Deputy District Attorney Lowrie Mendoza by which she is quoted as saying a number of instances that she was pressured to “suck his balls, put his testicles in her mouth.”
Weinstein doesn’t have testicles, Jackson mentioned. Actress Jessica Mann testified in graphic element throughout his New York trial about his “deformed” genitalia. After three days of jury choice, the pool of potential jurors was narrowed to 160 by Friday. Weinstein is dealing with 11 sexual assault expenses for alleged assaults in opposition to 5 girls between 2004 to 2013. The disgraced mogul is already serving a 23-year sentence after being convicted of rape and sexual assault in his New York trial in 2020.
New York’s highest court docket has agreed to listen to an attraction, however a conviction in Los Angeles – the place he faces as much as 140 years behind bars – may successfully assure that he’s behind bars for all times.
— Except for the headline, this story is taken from IANS
