Harvey Weinstein will not testify at his New York rape trial, defense rests case

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former movie producer Harvey Weinstein will not testify in his own 
defense at his rape trial, his lawyers said on Tuesday as they rested their case.

Outside the presence of the jury, one of Weinstein’s lawyers told Justice James Burke that Weinstein would not be taking the stand in the trial that began in New York on Jan. 6 and is a milestone in the #MeToo movement.

“That’s correct,” Weinstein confirmed when asked by the judge.

The defense rested its case shortly after this exchange, setting the stage for closing arguments to begin on Thursday.

Asked outside the courtroom whether he had been thinking of testifying, Weinstein responded, “I wanted to.”

“He didn’t have to,” said one of his lawyers, Damon Cheronis.

Arthur Aidala, another one of his lawyers, said outside the courthouse that Weinstein had been “anxious to testify to clear his name,” but that his lawyers had advised him that “he did not need to do that because the evidence presented in this case was anemic at best.”

Earlier on Tuesday, a former agent of accuser Jessica Mann took the stand, testifying that Mann showed no signs of distress on the morning she says she was sexually assaulted by Weinstein.

Weinstein, 67, has pleaded not guilty to raping Mann, a onetime aspiring actress, and to sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi.

Mann accused Weinstein of raping her in a Manhattan hotel one morning in March 2013. She previously testified that the rape occurred in the course of an “extremely degrading” relationship with Weinstein that lasted for years.

Thomas Richards, a former friend and agent of Mann testified that he had breakfast with Mann and Weinstein the same day. Richards told jurors that the dynamic between Mann and Weinstein appeared “friendly.”

Richards testified under a subpoena from the defense. Asked by Weinstein’s lawyer Damon Cheronis whether he was testifying to help Weinstein, Richards answered, “Not at all.”

Under cross-examination by Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi, Richards said he had been drinking the night before the breakfast and his memory of the next day was not clear.

On Monday, Mann’s former friend Talita Maia, a Brazilian-born actress, testified that Mann did not show any distress after the alleged attack. Mann has said Richards was also with her in New York at the time.

The trial is a key moment in the #MeToo movement in which women have accused powerful men in business, entertainment, media and politics of sexual misconduct.

Since 2017, more than 80 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct.

The former producer, who was behind films including “The English Patient” and “Shakespeare in Love,” has denied any nonconsensual sex.

Weinstein faces life in prison if convicted of predatory sexual assault, the most serious charge against him.

Prosecutors rested their case last Thursday after jurors heard testimony from six women accusing Weinstein of sexual assault, including Mann, Haleyi and actress Annabella Sciorra, who said Weinstein raped her in her home in the early 1990s.

Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; writing by Noeleen Walder; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Grant McCool

Model Janice Dickinson tells jury that Cosby drugged, raped her

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (Reuters) - Former supermodel Janice Dickinson testified on Thursday that Bill Cosby drugged and raped her at a Lake Tahoe home in 1982, a story similar to those of other alleged victims called as witnesses in the comedian’s sexual assault retrial.

“I wanted to hit him, wanted to punch him in the face,” said Dickinson, a highly successful model in the 1970s and 1980s. “I felt anger, was humiliated, disgusted, ashamed.”

Cosby, who played the loveable patriarch and “America’s Dad” on “The Cosby Show,” is on trial in Pennsylvania for a second time on accusations of drugging and sexually assaulting former friend and colleague Andrea Constand, 45, in 2004.


In all some 50 women have accused Cosby of molestation going back decades. All but Constand’s case were too old to be prosecuted, and Cosby’s first trial ended in a mistrial last June due to a deadlocked jury.

Cosby is accused of giving pills to college administrator Constand and assaulting her at his home near Philadelphia.

Cosby has denied the charge of aggravated indecent assault of Constand, saying any sexual contact was consensual. His lawyers have portrayed Constand as a gold-digging con artist.

Dickinson is the fourth of five accusers permitted by Montgomery County Judge Steven O’Neill to tell their stories to the jury in the suburban Philadelphia courtroom.

Describing a scenario similar to three previous accusers, Dickinson said Cosby contacted her and offered career help.

He flew her to Lake Tahoe, Nevada, where she met Cosby and his musical director for dinner and complained of menstrual cramps. “I have something for that,” Cosby said, according to her testimony.

She testified that he gave her a little blue pill, which she swallowed. Cosby then took her back to his room, where Dickinson, 27 at the time, shot several pictures of him with her Polaroid camera that were projected in court.

“I was really light-headed,” she said. “When I spoke, it didn’t sound like words were coming out. We weren’t discussing my career. He was on the phone.”

She testified that when he finished his call, he climbed on top of her.

“I remember his breath, the taste of his kiss, cigars and espresso. Here was ‘America’s Dad’ on top of me, a happily married man with five kids, and how very, very wrong it was,” Dickinson said.

She found semen between her legs the next day, she said. Confronting Cosby later that day, she demanded to know why he did it. His response was silence and a facial expression that conveyed, “You’re crazy,” she testified.

Dickinson said she did not report the assault to police out of fear it would destroy her career. She said she had long struggled to make it as a model and finally had premiere clients such as cosmetics titan Revlon Inc “who would not have appreciated it if I had been raped and gone to the police.”

Defense lawyer Thomas Mesereau began his cross-examination by focusing on a book ostensibly authored by Dickinson but actually ghost-written by Pablo Fenjves, who also penned O.J. Simpson’s book, “If I Did It.”

Dickinson said she wanted the book’s sections about her rape to be complete and honest and gave that information to Fenjves but its use was overruled by publisher Judith Regan.

Reporting by David DeKok; writing by Daniel Trotta and Barbara Goldberg; editing by Cynthia Osterman and G Crosse

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Mandela rape-accused grandson in fresh trouble

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - A grandson of South African icon Nelson Mandela, who was freed on bail in a child sex case, is being investigated for assaulting a woman, police said Sunday.

"A case of assault has been opened and (the) investigation is ongoing," police spokeswoman Mashadi Selepe said.

Under South African law, a suspect's identity cannot be revealed until the start of the trial.

According to the Sunday Times weekly, the alleged assault took place in the kitchen of Mandela's former home in Johannesburg's posh Houghton area.

The alleged victim was identified as a 39-year-old musician.

The grandson is not allowed to leave the province of Gauteng, of which Johannesburg is capital, until September 16 when the trial is supposed to start.

In the other case, the same grandson is alleged to have raped a 15-year-old girl in a toilet at a popular pub in Johannesburg on August 7.

During the hearing, the suspect's lawyers disputed the victim's age, arguing that she was 16 and that the sex was consensual.

The case is the latest to tarnish the family of the late icon, who died in 2013.

Earlier this year, Mandla Mandela, the eldest of the late statesman's grandsons, was convicted of assaulting a motorist during a road-rage incident. He is appealing his three-year suspended sentence.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Who filed new rape charge against Vhong?

Following the filing of a new rape complaint against Vhong Navarro, the identity of the woman alleging the actor of rape immediately made headlines in local news.

The new complaint was filed at the Pasig City Prosecutor's Office on Wednesday by a woman, whose name was initially disclosed.

Atty. Virgilio Battala, however, identified his client in an interview with DZMM on Thursday morning. (ABS-CBN has taken as stand not to identify the complainant and will use the alias "Rose" instead. -- Eds.)

Batalla said the alleged rape incident happened in 2010, adding that "Rose" sought his help five days after the controversy regarding Navarro’s beating erupted.

However, this is not the first time "Rose" made the news.

In 2011, a beauty queen hopeful with the same name was dropped from the official list of Binibining Pilipinas candidates over a nude photo scandal.

That year, a nude photo of a woman who looks like "Rose" circulated on the Internet and became a hot topic in several online forums and blogs.

A blog post had claimed that the nude woman was indeed "Rose," although the Binibining Pilipinas contestant, who was then 22, vehemently denied that it was her in the picture.

But because of this allegation, the Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BPCI) asked the contestant to just drop out of the pageant.

At the time, BPCI maintained that it was merely implementing its rules and regulations.

After she left the competition, nothing was heard of "Rose."

It still remains to be seen if indeed the disqualified Binibining Pilipinas contestant is the same "Rose" who accused Navarro of rape on Wednesday.

The complainant has yet to speak publicly about her allegations.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Another woman sues Vhong Navarro for rape

Another rape complaint was filed by a woman on Wednesday against Vhong Navarro amid the controversy involving the actor-host and model Deniece Cornejo, who has accused him of sexually assaulting her.

The rape charge was filed around 4 p.m. at the Pasig City Prosecutor's Office by the alleged victim and her legal counsel, Atty. Virgilio Batalla.

In a phone interview on "Aquino and Abunda Tonight" on Wednesday night, Batalla said the alleged rape took place in 2010.

"Ang biktima po ng rape ay may 20 taon para mag-file ng kaso. At ang kliyente ko ay 4 na taon lamang (pagkatapos noong nangyari), kaya hindi gaano katagal iyon," the lawyer said.

Asked by host Kris Aquino how he came to be the alleged victim's legal counsel, Batalla said, "Ako po ang chairman ng Lingap Pinoy Foundation na nagbibigay ng libreng abugado sa mga taong nangangailangan lalo na sa mga walang kakayahan."

"Lumapit po sa akin ang biktimang ito dahil siya ay nagkaroon ng lakas ng loob dahil sa mga nangyayari, iyong pangyayari na may nagsampa kay Vhong Navarro ng rape. Dahil nakita niya na puwede palang mangyari ito nang paulit-ulit sa ibang babae katulad niya," he said, referring to the case of Cornejo.




Cornejo filed a rape complaint against Navarro last January 29.

In her affidavit, she claimed that the actor forced her to perform oral sex on him and tried to insert his penis in her vagina on January 22, the night the group of businessman Cedric Lee allegedly came to her rescue.

Navarro denied this, saying he was set up by Cornejo for an extortion attempt allegedly led by Lee. The actor said he was blindfolded, tied up and attacked by at least six men inside Cornejo's condominium unit in Taguig.

The actor has since filed six criminal charges against Cornejo and Lee's group: serious physical injuries, grave threat, grave coercion, unlawful arrest, blackmail, and serious illegal detention, which is a non-bailable offense.

Lee, in a January 28 interview on radio DZMM, claimed that several other women aside from Cornejo were willing to come forward and say that Navarro also molested them.

Asked by host Boy Abunda if he knows of ties between his client and Lee, Batalla said, "Wala po akong alam."

Noting he cannot disclose his client's name without her consent, the lawyer added, "Ang kaso po ay nakasampa na at kami po ay naghihintay ng tamang proseso ng batas para magbigay ng detalye sa kasong ito."

Navarro's camp expected new case

Navarro's lawyer, however, downplayed the new rape complaint.

"Gusto lang namin sabihin na kahit naman sino ay puwede mag-kaso. Ang tanong ay kaya mo ba patunayan iyung paratang? May ebidensya ka ba?" Atty. Alma Mallonga said in a separate interview on "Aquino and Abunda Tonight."

She said the filing was "not unexpected."

Mallonga questioned the motive and timing of the new complaint.

"Some weeks ago, Cedric (was) saying that he's been talking to some women and I understand that his lawyer has said na mayroon silang pasabog," Mallonga revealed.

"Hindi kami nagulat kasi intindi pa nga namin that this is just the first of others," she added.

Mallonga also responded to speculation that the new case was inspired by Cornejo's allegations against the actor.

"If you're saying that you were inspired by the rape complaint of Deniece, alam na natin na hindi iyun nangyari. Impossible dahil nakita natin sa ating dalawang mata na hindi iyon nangyari, that you cannot rape who was not there. You cannot witness a rape when the victim is not even there," she said.

Mallonga said Navarro is aware of the new case and the actor is keen on facing the charges and proving his innocence.

"This has made him more determined to see this thing through," she said.

The Department of Justice's second hearing on the cases filed by Navarro and Cornejo is scheduled on February 21. -- with a report by Vince Garcia, ABS-CBNNews.com

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Rape case vs Ang Dating Daan's Bro. Eli to proceed

The Court of Appeals (CA) has junked televangelist Eliseo Fernando "Bro. Eli" Soriano's bid for the dismissal of rape charges against him pending before a Pampanga trial court.

In a 3-page resolution penned by Associate Justice Angelita Gacutan, the appellate court's former 12th Division junked Soriano's motion for reconsideration (MR) on its ruling dated May 31 that dismissed his petition against Macabebe Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Lucina Dayaon.

The appellate court pointed out that Soriano was unable to present new arguments in his MR to warrant a reversal of the earlier ruling.

“A perusal of the [MR] shows that it is a mere rehash of his previous arguments which we have sufficiently discussed and passed upon in our decision…,” the resolution read.

Soriano, head of the Ang Dating Daan and presiding minister of the Philippines-based Christian organization Members Church of God International, was indicted on rape charges in 2006 filed by Daniel Veridiano, a member of his staff.

Veridiano alleged that Soriano sexually assaulted him on 2 separate occasions in Apalit, Pampanga.

Judge Dayaon issued a warrant for Soriano's arrest; Soriano subsequently posted bail.

Soriano elevated his case before the appellate court.

In its latest ruling, the appellate court also held that it could not pass upon Soriano's "new allegations" against Veridiano.

“He attacks complainant Veridiano’s character by claiming that [Veridiano] was involved in misappropriation of funds and molestation of minors... However, we cannot pass upon these belated accusations as this court is not a trier of facts. Such duty belongs to the trial courts where the said charges may be pending," the resolution read.

Associate Justices Magdangal De Leon and Francisco Acosta concurred in the ruling.

Sought for comment, Ang Dating Daan referred ABS-CBN to the UNTV legal department.

Atty. Alfredito Forteza, who said he represents Soriano, said the CA decision was based on a technicality and not on the merits of the case.

He said Soriano will appeal the CA ruling before the Supreme Court.

source: abs-cbnnews.com