New York prosecutors told jurors that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/harvey-weinstein-accusers-agent-expected-to-testify-in-new-york-rape-trial-280105">Harvey Weinstein</a> abused his power and pushed back against claims by the former Hollywood producer's defense team that his accusers were not credible.

Setting the stage for the jury to begin deliberating next week in Weinstein's weeks-long sexual assault trial, Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi said Weinstein, 67, had counted on his victims never coming forward.

"The defendant not only ran roughshod over the dignity and the very lives of these witnesses, but he also underestimated them," she said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/harvey-weinstein-accusers-agent-expected-to-testify-in-new-york-rape-trial-280105">Harvey Weinstein accuser's agent expected to testify in New York rape trial</a>

The trial is a milestone for the #MeToo movement, in which women have accused powerful men in business, entertainment, media and politics of sexual misconduct.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/harvey-weinstein-accusers-agent-expected-to-testify-in-new-york-rape-trial-280105">Weinstein </a>has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and raping Jessica Mann, a one time aspiring actress, in 2013.

Justice James Burke is expected to give the jury legal instructions on Tuesday morning, after which they will begin deliberating.

Since 2017, more than 80 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood-news-harvey-weinstein-trial-new-york-jurors-shown-naked-photos-of-former-producer-278653">Harvey Weinstein trial: New York jurors shown naked photos of former producer</a>

The former producer, who was behind films including "<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/harvey-weinstein-accusers-agent-expected-to-testify-in-new-york-rape-trial-280105">The English Patient</a>" and "<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/harvey-weinstein-accusers-agent-expected-to-testify-in-new-york-rape-trial-280105">Shakespeare in Love</a>," has denied any non-consensual sex.

On Thursday, Donna Rotunno, one of Weinstein's lawyers, assailed Weinstein's accusers as unreliable and said an "overzealous" prosecution was trying to portray consensual sex as assault, and that women must be "responsible" for their choices.

Illuzzi said on Friday that all the women were credible and had no reason to lie.

"If they didn't feel compelled to do this, would they put their families through this?" she asked. "Would they put themselves through the stress?"

She also pushed back against Rotunno's argument about women's responsibility.

"If you're the victim of fraud, nobody is going to say, well, you gave the accountant access to your money," she said.

Haleyi testified during the trial that Weinstein forced oral sex on her in his home in 2006. Mann testified that Weinstein raped her in a Manhattan hotel room early in what she called an "extremely degrading" relationship with him.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/the-harvey-weinstein-40-years-journey-from-the-studio-to-the-courtroom-272139">Harvey Weinstein 40 years Journey: From the studio to the courtroom</a>

Illuzzi rejected the defense's claim that Mann had a loving relationship with Weinstein, but also said it would not matter if she had been "head over heels in love with him."

"He still wouldn't be allowed to rape her on March 18 of 2013," she said.

Jurors heard from four other women, including actress Annabella Sciorra, who testified that Weinstein came into her apartment one winter night in 1993 or 1994 and raped her. The accusation is too old to be charged as a separate crime, but it could act as an aggravating factor to support the most serious charge in the case, predatory sexual assault, which carries a possible life sentence.

Prosecutors called the remaining three women to bolster their evidence of Weinstein's intent, but did not charge him with any crimes related to them.

After court wrapped up for the day, Rotunno told reporters that the evidence showed the relationships the accusers had with Weinstein were consensual.

"I think he's confident. And this is a tough situation for anybody to be in," she said of Weinstein.

New York prosecutors told jurors that Harvey Weinstein abused his power and pushed back against claims by the former Hollywood producer's defense team that his accusers were not credible.

New York prosecutors told jurors that Harvey Weinstein abused his power and pushed back against claims by the former Hollywood producer's defense team that his accusers were not credible. Setting the stage for the jury to begin deliberating next week in Weinstein's weeks-long sexual assault trial, Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi said Weinstein, 67, had counted on his victims never coming forward. "The defendant not only ran roughshod over the dignity and the very lives of these witnesses, but he also underestimated them," she said. Also read: Harvey Weinstein accuser's agent expected to testify in New York rape trial The trial is a milestone for the #MeToo movement, in which women have accused powerful men in business, entertainment, media and politics of sexual misconduct. Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and raping Jessica Mann, a one time aspiring actress, in 2013. Justice James Burke is expected to give the jury legal instructions on Tuesday morning, after which they will begin deliberating. Since 2017, more than 80 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct. Also read: Harvey Weinstein trial: New York jurors shown naked photos of former producer The former producer, who was behind films including "The English Patient" and "Shakespeare in Love," has denied any non-consensual sex. On Thursday, Donna Rotunno, one of Weinstein's lawyers, assailed Weinstein's accusers as unreliable and said an "overzealous" prosecution was trying to portray consensual sex as assault, and that women must be "responsible" for their choices. Illuzzi said on Friday that all the women were credible and had no reason to lie. "If they didn't feel compelled to do this, would they put their families through this?" she asked. "Would they put themselves through the stress?" She also pushed back against Rotunno's argument about women's responsibility. "If you're the victim of fraud, nobody is going to say, well, you gave the accountant access to your money," she said. Haleyi testified during the trial that Weinstein forced oral sex on her in his home in 2006. Mann testified that Weinstein raped her in a Manhattan hotel room early in what she called an "extremely degrading" relationship with him. Also see: Harvey Weinstein 40 years Journey: From the studio to the courtroom Illuzzi rejected the defense's claim that Mann had a loving relationship with Weinstein, but also said it would not matter if she had been "head over heels in love with him." "He still wouldn't be allowed to rape her on March 18 of 2013," she said. Jurors heard from four other women, including actress Annabella Sciorra, who testified that Weinstein came into her apartment one winter night in 1993 or 1994 and raped her. The accusation is too old to be charged as a separate crime, but it could act as an aggravating factor to support the most serious charge in the case, predatory sexual assault, which carries a possible life sentence. Prosecutors called the remaining three women to bolster their evidence of Weinstein's intent, but did not charge him with any crimes related to them. After court wrapped up for the day, Rotunno told reporters that the evidence showed the relationships the accusers had with Weinstein were consensual. "I think he's confident. And this is a tough situation for anybody to be in," she said of Weinstein.

New York prosecutor says former movie producer Harvey Weinstein abused his power

A female writer who has been writing a novel about ''predatory older men''&nbsp;and how they prefer to indulge in relationships with younger women, will be a part of the jury in the <a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/gigi-hadid-dismissed-as-juror-in-harvey-weinstein-case-274870">Harvey Weinstein</a> case.

One of the most high-profile cases in the country&nbsp;is investigating the assault and rape of two young women who accused Weinstein of being the culprit behind these charges.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/judge-on-harvey-weinstein-rape-trial-tells-jurors-to-not-use-case-to-make-a-statement-on-metoo-274774">Judge on Harvey Weinstein rape trial tells jurors to not use case to make a statement on #MeToo</a>

The jury selection in this process took over two weeks to be finalised.

Watch:&nbsp;Weinstein could face 28 years in prison for rape in LA

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/weinstein-could-face-28-years-in-prison-for-rape-in-la-272756/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The attorneys of <a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/top-5-hollywood-news-today-1917-releases-in-india-sex-education-season-2-trailer-out-274898">Hollywood</a>'s powerful broker's argued that the woman will make decisions on her pre-conceived notions and biases.

And that she will not be a fair and impartial juror.

They claimed that her answers were ''inconsistent'' according to the information they had gathered about her online.

However, their challenge was denied immediately by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/judge-on-harvey-weinstein-rape-trial-tells-jurors-to-not-use-case-to-make-a-statement-on-metoo-274774">Judge Burke</a> which came as a shock to the defence lawyers.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/judge-on-harvey-weinstein-rape-trial-tells-jurors-to-not-use-case-to-make-a-statement-on-metoo-274774">Judge on Harvey Weinstein rape trial tells jurors to not use case to make a statement on #MeToo</a>

The female novelist is juror number 11 in Weinstein's New york trail.

The open statements are expected to begin with Joan Illuzzi, who is a veteran prosecutor and will present the prosections case on January 22.

A female writer who has been writing a novel about ''predatory older men'' and how they prefer to indulge in relationships with younger women, will be a part of the jury in the Harvey Weinstein case.

A female writer who has been writing a novel about ''predatory older men'' and how they prefer to indulge in relationships with younger women, will be a part of the jury in the Harvey Weinstein case. One of the most high-profile cases in the country is investigating the assault and rape of two young women who accused Weinstein of being the culprit behind these charges. Also read: Judge on Harvey Weinstein rape trial tells jurors to not use case to make a statement on #MeToo The jury selection in this process took over two weeks to be finalised. Watch: Weinstein could face 28 years in prison for rape in LA The attorneys of Hollywood's powerful broker's argued that the woman will make decisions on her pre-conceived notions and biases. And that she will not be a fair and impartial juror. They claimed that her answers were ''inconsistent'' according to the information they had gathered about her online. However, their challenge was denied immediately by Judge Burke which came as a shock to the defence lawyers. Also read: Judge on Harvey Weinstein rape trial tells jurors to not use case to make a statement on #MeToo The female novelist is juror number 11 in Weinstein's New york trail. The open statements are expected to begin with Joan Illuzzi, who is a veteran prosecutor and will present the prosections case on January 22.

Female writer of novel on 'predatory older men' to be part of Harvey Weinstein's jury

As disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein prepares for his sexual misconduct trial starting in New York on Monday, here is a look at the women at the center of one of the last decade's most explosive stories. 
 
- The accusers - 
 
More than 80 women, including Angelina Jolie and Ashley Judd, have accused the fallen producer of sexual harassment and assault but&nbsp;charges have only been brought relating to two. 
 
Mimi Haleyi, a former production assistant, alleges that Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her in his New York apartment in July 2006. 
 
"I told him no, no, no, but he insisted," Haleyi told reporters in 2017, recalling that she was menstruating at the time of the alleged assault. 
 
The second alleged victim is anonymous. She says Weinstein, 67, raped her in a New York hotel room in March 2013. 
 
Weinstein's defense team have presented emails which they say show the woman had a consensual relationship with her alleged attacker for several years after the alleged attack. 
 
- Other alleged victims - 
 
Prosecutors will call "The Sopranos" actress Annabella Sciorra to testify. She helped trigger the #MeToo movement when she told The New Yorker magazine that Weinstein raped her at her Manhattan home over the winter of 1993-94.&nbsp; 
 
Weinstein cannot be charged with raping Sciorra, 59, because the statute of limitations has expired but she is key to prosecutors' attempts to convince the jury&nbsp;that he engaged in predatory sexual behavior.&nbsp; 
 
Three other alleged victims whose identity is unknown are also expected to take the stand. One says she was raped by Weinstein in Beverly Hills, California, in 2013.&nbsp; 
 
The exact nature of the other two alleged incidents, in 2004 and 2005, are unknown at this stage.&nbsp; 
 
- The lawyers - 
 
Veteran attorney&nbsp;Joan Illuzzi-Orbon will lead the prosecution. She has three decades of experience as a prosecutor and persuaded a judge to double Weinstein's bail in December after arguing he had mishandled his ankle monitor. 
 
Illuzzi-Orbon famously led the sex assault probe against former IMF leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn in 2011. The case was eventually abandoned after prosecutors lost faith in the accuser, a New York hotel maid. 
 
Pugnacious Chicago lawyer Donna Rotunno will lead the counsel for the defense. She has defended dozens of men accused of sexual misconduct and condemned the #MeToo movement when she was appointed to Weinstein's team in July. 
She plans to use her gender to the defense's advantage. 
 
"I have the ability to get away with a lot more in a courtroom cross-examining a female than a male lawyer does," she told Chicago Magazine in February 2018. 
 
"He may be an excellent lawyer, but if he goes at that woman with the same venom that I do, he looks like a bully. If I do it, nobody even bats an eyelash. And it's been very effective," she said. 
 
- Expert witnesses - 
 
The court will hear evidence from forensic psychiatrist Barbara Ziv, who is due to be called to the stand by the prosecution. 
Pennsylvania-based Ziv testified during US comedian Bill Cosby's trial, in which he was sentenced to a minimum of three years in jail for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman 15 years ago. 
 
Court documents show that the prosecution want her to dispel "myths surrounding sexual assault" including why victims sometimes don't reveal their trauma until years after the incident. 
 
Judge James Burke last month rejected an attempt by Weinstein's counsel to block Ziv from testifying. 
 
The defense's specialist witnesses include psychologists Deborah Davis and Elizabeth Loftus, who have studied memory in alleged sexual assault victims.

As disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein prepares for his sexual misconduct trial starting in New York on Monday, here is a look at the women at the center of one of the last decade's most explosive stories.

As disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein prepares for his sexual misconduct trial starting in New York on Monday, here is a look at the women at the center of one of the last decade's most explosive stories. - The accusers - More than 80 women, including Angelina Jolie and Ashley Judd, have accused the fallen producer of sexual harassment and assault but charges have only been brought relating to two. Mimi Haleyi, a former production assistant, alleges that Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her in his New York apartment in July 2006. "I told him no, no, no, but he insisted," Haleyi told reporters in 2017, recalling that she was menstruating at the time of the alleged assault. The second alleged victim is anonymous. She says Weinstein, 67, raped her in a New York hotel room in March 2013. Weinstein's defense team have presented emails which they say show the woman had a consensual relationship with her alleged attacker for several years after the alleged attack. - Other alleged victims - Prosecutors will call "The Sopranos" actress Annabella Sciorra to testify. She helped trigger the #MeToo movement when she told The New Yorker magazine that Weinstein raped her at her Manhattan home over the winter of 1993-94. Weinstein cannot be charged with raping Sciorra, 59, because the statute of limitations has expired but she is key to prosecutors' attempts to convince the jury that he engaged in predatory sexual behavior. Three other alleged victims whose identity is unknown are also expected to take the stand. One says she was raped by Weinstein in Beverly Hills, California, in 2013. The exact nature of the other two alleged incidents, in 2004 and 2005, are unknown at this stage. - The lawyers - Veteran attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon will lead the prosecution. She has three decades of experience as a prosecutor and persuaded a judge to double Weinstein's bail in December after arguing he had mishandled his ankle monitor. Illuzzi-Orbon famously led the sex assault probe against former IMF leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn in 2011. The case was eventually abandoned after prosecutors lost faith in the accuser, a New York hotel maid. Pugnacious Chicago lawyer Donna Rotunno will lead the counsel for the defense. She has defended dozens of men accused of sexual misconduct and condemned the #MeToo movement when she was appointed to Weinstein's team in July. She plans to use her gender to the defense's advantage. "I have the ability to get away with a lot more in a courtroom cross-examining a female than a male lawyer does," she told Chicago Magazine in February 2018. "He may be an excellent lawyer, but if he goes at that woman with the same venom that I do, he looks like a bully. If I do it, nobody even bats an eyelash. And it's been very effective," she said. - Expert witnesses - The court will hear evidence from forensic psychiatrist Barbara Ziv, who is due to be called to the stand by the prosecution. Pennsylvania-based Ziv testified during US comedian Bill Cosby's trial, in which he was sentenced to a minimum of three years in jail for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman 15 years ago. Court documents show that the prosecution want her to dispel "myths surrounding sexual assault" including why victims sometimes don't reveal their trauma until years after the incident. Judge James Burke last month rejected an attempt by Weinstein's counsel to block Ziv from testifying. The defense's specialist witnesses include psychologists Deborah Davis and Elizabeth Loftus, who have studied memory in alleged sexual assault victims.

The women at the heart of the Harvey Weinstein trial