After a week’s worth of questionnaires, dismissals and supermodel summons, jury selection is now in the homestretch in the Harvey Weinstein case. By the time court broke for lunch on Thursday, five jurors had been picked. By the end of the day, two more were selected. (USA Today)
There are four men and three women picked out of the literally thousands called to serve. The Manhattan D.A.’s office noted in court that none of those chosen jurors are white women, which Assistant D.A. Joan Illuzzi-Orbon says is the tactic of the defense. (Deadline)
Weinstein’s lawyers also went to court Thursday with a last-minute demand to halt jury selection and move his rape trial out of New York City, where they say intense publicity, protesters and even the consideration of supermodel Gigi Hadid as a juror have turned the case into a “media and entertainment circus.” (AP)
The appellate court did not immediately issue a ruling, but denied the defense request to put a halt on the jury selection underway in New York Supreme Court. A ruling is expected by Tuesday. (Variety)