Richard Herman on Weinstein: The Biggest Issue for the Defense Is ‘Will They Be Able To Get an Impartial Jury in This #MeToo Environment’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT Here to ░░░░░░░░ in on the criminal ░░░░░░░░ Avery Friedman a civil ░░░░░░░░ attorney and criminal defense ░░░░░░░░ Richard Herman Good to ░░░░░░░░ you both gentlemen Nice ░░░░░░░░ see you Fredericka Thank ░░░░░░░░ So Weinstein s attorney ░░░░░░░░ his client is innocent ░░░░░░░░ will this be a ░░░░░░░░ case for prosecutors to ░░░░░░░░ beyond a reasonable doubt ░░░░░░░░ I think it really ░░░░░░░░ Why Listeners have to ░░░░░░░░ the difference between a ░░░░░░░░ action for bad behavior ░░░░░░░░ an environment and a ░░░░░░░░ where they condone someone ░░░░░░░░ like this and abusing ░░░░░░░░ power and a criminal ░░░░░░░░ where on the rape ░░░░░░░░ he s facing five ░░░░░░░░ 25 years and on ░░░░░░░░ the physical act five ░░░░░░░░ 25 years very serious ░░░░░░░░ You have to prove ░░░░░░░░ Harvey Weinstein physically attacked ░░░░░░░░ women And on cross ░░░░░░░░ and Ben Brafman is ░░░░░░░░ very skilled defense attorney ░░░░░░░░ s been one of ░░░░░░░░ best for decades in ░░░░░░░░ York City he s ░░░░░░░░ to attack that He ░░░░░░░░ going to say on ░░░░░░░░ these women knew his ░░░░░░░░ to want to have ░░░░░░░░ with people that they ░░░░░░░░ went to his office ░░░░░░░░ his hotel room or ░░░░░░░░ house and that they ░░░░░░░░ a choice they had ░░░░░░░░ choice They could have ░░░░░░░░ out and nothing would ░░░░░░░░ happened But they stayed ░░░░░░░░ stayed for a quid ░░░░░░░░ quo they stayed to ░░░░░░░░ a benefit to enhance ░░░░░░░░ careers and that s ░░░░░░░░ they met with him ░░░░░░░░ that s why they ░░░░░░░░ sex That s defense ░░░░░░░░ Consent is a complete ░░░░░░░░ That will be the ░░░░░░░░ So Avery let s ░░░░░░░░ at these charges specifically ░░░░░░░░ Weinstein Rape in the ░░░░░░░░ and third degree sexual ░░░░░░░░ and misconduct and committing ░░░░░░░░ criminal sexual act in ░░░░░░░░ first degree We ve ░░░░░░░░ the criminal sex act ░░░░░░░░ stems from an alleged ░░░░░░░░ on aspiring actress Lucia ░░░░░░░░ in 2004 Will the ░░░░░░░░ of time 14 years ░░░░░░░░ in any way aid ░░░░░░░░ s defense Well the ░░░░░░░░ time that passes Fredericka ░░░░░░░░ the more difficult it ░░░░░░░░ It turns on the ░░░░░░░░ of the witnesses Lucia ░░░░░░░░ been completely consistent in ░░░░░░░░ Cyrus Vance Jr the ░░░░░░░░ had been thinking about ░░░░░░░░ but it s bolstered ░░░░░░░░ by Ronan farrow in ░░░░░░░░ amazing article pulitzer level ░░░░░░░░ merging with the criminal ░░░░░░░░ system He identified the ░░░░░░░░ women and what he ░░░░░░░░ When Harvey Weinstein called ░░░░░░░░ back she was wired ░░░░░░░░ the police went back ░░░░░░░░ asked Weinstein well you ░░░░░░░░ me before are you ░░░░░░░░ to do it again ░░░░░░░░ he said look I ░░░░░░░░ really sorry about that ░░░░░░░░ do that all the ░░░░░░░░ but it won t ░░░░░░░░ again essentially an admission ░░░░░░░░ I think at this ░░░░░░░░ Fredericka not only do ░░░░░░░░ have those three women ░░░░░░░░ think you re going ░░░░░░░░ have a lot more ░░░░░░░░ believe it not that ░░░░░░░░ walk is going to ░░░░░░░░ other victims to come ░░░░░░░░ before that grand jury ░░░░░░░░ when Harvey Weinstein returns ░░░░░░░░ in court on July ░░░░░░░░ there may be additional ░░░░░░░░ I think that s ░░░░░░░░ And Richard the alleged ░░░░░░░░ in that 2013 rape ░░░░░░░░ has not been publicly ░░░░░░░░ Weinstein s attorney says ░░░░░░░░ charges against his client ░░░░░░░░ says are constitutionally flawed ░░░░░░░░ does he mean by ░░░░░░░░ What about this would ░░░░░░░░ constitutionally flawed Fred this ░░░░░░░░ was based on a ░░░░░░░░ complaint not a grand ░░░░░░░░ indictment And the sufficiency ░░░░░░░░ the complaint is what ░░░░░░░░ Brafman is going to ░░░░░░░░ right now I don ░░░░░░░░ know why they rushed ░░░░░░░░ and did it like ░░░░░░░░ They still have a ░░░░░░░░ grand jury Avery is ░░░░░░░░ there will be more ░░░░░░░░ brought This grand jury ░░░░░░░░ indict more charges against ░░░░░░░░ Weinstein That s a ░░░░░░░░ grand jury there s ░░░░░░░░ investigation in the U ░░░░░░░░ against him there s ░░░░░░░░ California criminal investigation against ░░░░░░░░ That s right This ░░░░░░░░ be the tip of ░░░░░░░░ iceberg But the biggest ░░░░░░░░ here one of the ░░░░░░░░ issues for the defense ░░░░░░░░ is will they be ░░░░░░░░ to get an impartial ░░░░░░░░ in this Me too ░░░░░░░░ And Ben Brafman made ░░░░░░░░ to that Ben Brafman ░░░░░░░░ about the movement it ░░░░░░░░ be difficult to seat ░░░░░░░░ jury that wasn t ░░░░░░░░ by this movement He ░░░░░░░░ the creator of the ░░░░░░░░ That s right If ░░░░░░░░ jury can sift through ░░░░░░░░ facts and apply the ░░░░░░░░ as instructed I think ░░░░░░░░ defense has a real ░░░░░░░░ here on the issue ░░░░░░░░ consent If they come ░░░░░░░░ preconceived Me too these ░░░░░░░░ are animals he will ░░░░░░░░ convicted as Bill Cosby ░░░░░░░░ in that same environment ░░░░░░░░ s going to be ░░░░░░░░ There will be more ░░░░░░░░ coming against Mr Weinstein ░░░░░░░░ ll see more I ░░░░░░░░ they re getting convictions ░░░░░░░░ on We ll see ░░░░░░░░ indictments coming All right ░░░░░░░░ Avery thanks so much ░░░░░░░░ good to see you ░░░░░░░░ a good weekend RUSH ░░░░░░░░ Here to weigh in ░░░░░░░░ the criminal charges Avery ░░░░░░░░ a civil right attorney ░░░░░░░░ criminal defense attorney Richard ░░░░░░░░ Good to see you ░░░░░░░░ gentlemen Nice to see ░░░░░░░░ Fredericka Thank you So ░░░░░░░░ s attorney says his ░░░░░░░░ is innocent Richard will ░░░░░░░░ be a difficult case ░░░░░░░░ prosecutors to prove beyond ░░░░░░░░ reasonable doubt Fred I ░░░░░░░░ it really is Why ░░░░░░░░ have to understand the ░░░░░░░░ between a civil action ░░░░░░░░ bad behavior or an ░░░░░░░░ and a workplace where ░░░░░░░░ condone someone acting like ░░░░░░░░ and abusing his power ░░░░░░░░ a criminal trial where ░░░░░░░░ the rape charges he ░░░░░░░░ facing five to 25 ░░░░░░░░ and on committing the ░░░░░░░░ act five to 25 ░░░░░░░░ very serious Fred You ░░░░░░░░ to prove that Harvey ░░░░░░░░ physically attacked these women ░░░░░░░░ on cross examination and ░░░░░░░░ Brafman is a very ░░░░░░░░ defense attorney he s ░░░░░░░░ one of the best ░░░░░░░░ decades in New York ░░░░░░░░ he s going to ░░░░░░░░ that He s going ░░░░░░░░ say on cross these ░░░░░░░░ knew his propensity to ░░░░░░░░ to have sex with ░░░░░░░░ that they voluntarily went ░░░░░░░░ his office or his ░░░░░░░░ room or his house ░░░░░░░░ that they had a ░░░░░░░░ they had a choice ░░░░░░░░ could have walked out ░░░░░░░░ nothing would have happened ░░░░░░░░ they stayed They stayed ░░░░░░░░ a quid pro quo ░░░░░░░░ stayed to get a ░░░░░░░░ to enhance their careers ░░░░░░░░ that s why they ░░░░░░░░ with him and that ░░░░░░░░ why they had sex ░░░░░░░░ s defense Fred Consent ░░░░░░░░ a complete defense That ░░░░░░░░ be the defense So ░░░░░░░░ let s look at ░░░░░░░░ charges specifically against Weinstein ░░░░░░░░ in the first and ░░░░░░░░ degree sexual abuse and ░░░░░░░░ and committing a criminal ░░░░░░░░ act in the first ░░░░░░░░ We ve learned the ░░░░░░░░ sex act charge stems ░░░░░░░░ an alleged assault on ░░░░░░░░ actress Lucia Evans in ░░░░░░░░ Will the passage of ░░░░░░░░ 14 years now in ░░░░░░░░ way aid Weinstein s ░░░░░░░░ Well the more time ░░░░░░░░ passes Fredericka obviously the ░░░░░░░░ difficult it is It ░░░░░░░░ on the credibility of ░░░░░░░░ witnesses Lucia has been ░░░░░░░░ consistent in this Cyrus ░░░░░░░░ Jr the prosecutor had ░░░░░░░░ thinking about it but ░░░░░░░░ s bolstered primarily by ░░░░░░░░ farrow in that amazing ░░░░░░░░ pulitzer level journalism merging ░░░░░░░░ the criminal justice system ░░░░░░░░ identified the other women ░░░░░░░░ what he did When ░░░░░░░░ Weinstein called Gutierrez back ░░░░░░░░ was wired by the ░░░░░░░░ went back and asked ░░░░░░░░ well you groped me ░░░░░░░░ are you going to ░░░░░░░░ it again and he ░░░░░░░░ look I m really ░░░░░░░░ about that we do ░░░░░░░░ all the time but ░░░░░░░░ won t happen again ░░░░░░░░ an admission So I ░░░░░░░░ at this point Fredericka ░░░░░░░░ only do we have ░░░░░░░░ three women I think ░░░░░░░░ re going to have ░░░░░░░░ lot more witnesses believe ░░░░░░░░ not that perp walk ░░░░░░░░ going to impact other ░░░░░░░░ to come forward before ░░░░░░░░ grand jury And when ░░░░░░░░ Weinstein returns back in ░░░░░░░░ on July 30th there ░░░░░░░░ be additional charges I ░░░░░░░░ that s likely And ░░░░░░░░ the alleged victim in ░░░░░░░░ 2013 rape case has ░░░░░░░░ been publicly identified Weinstein ░░░░░░░░ attorney says all charges ░░░░░░░░ his client he says ░░░░░░░░ constitutionally flawed What does ░░░░░░░░ mean by that What ░░░░░░░░ this would be constitutionally ░░░░░░░░ Fred this arrest was ░░░░░░░░ on a criminal complaint ░░░░░░░░ a grand jury indictment ░░░░░░░░ the sufficiency of the ░░░░░░░░ is what Ben Brafman ░░░░░░░░ going to attack right ░░░░░░░░ I don t know ░░░░░░░░ they rushed it and ░░░░░░░░ it like this They ░░░░░░░░ have a sitting grand ░░░░░░░░ Avery is right there ░░░░░░░░ be more charges brought ░░░░░░░░ grand jury will indict ░░░░░░░░ charges against Harvey Weinstein ░░░░░░░░ s a federal grand ░░░░░░░░ there s an investigation ░░░░░░░░ the U K against ░░░░░░░░ there s a California ░░░░░░░░ investigation against him That ░░░░░░░░ right This could be ░░░░░░░░ tip of the iceberg ░░░░░░░░ the biggest issue here ░░░░░░░░ of the biggest issues ░░░░░░░░ the defense Fred is ░░░░░░░░ they be able to ░░░░░░░░ an impartial jury in ░░░░░░░░ Me too environment And ░░░░░░░░ Brafman made reference to ░░░░░░░░ Ben Brafman did about ░░░░░░░░ movement it will be ░░░░░░░░ to seat a jury ░░░░░░░░ wasn t impacted by ░░░░░░░░ movement He s the ░░░░░░░░ of the movement That ░░░░░░░░ right If the jury ░░░░░░░░ sift through the facts ░░░░░░░░ apply the law as ░░░░░░░░ I think the defense ░░░░░░░░ a real shot here ░░░░░░░░ the issue of consent ░░░░░░░░ they come in preconceived ░░░░░░░░ too these guys are ░░░░░░░░ he will get convicted ░░░░░░░░ Bill Cosby did in ░░░░░░░░ same environment It s ░░░░░░░░ to be interesting There ░░░░░░░░ be more charges coming ░░░░░░░░ Mr Weinstein We ll ░░░░░░░░ more I think they ░░░░░░░░ getting convictions early on ░░░░░░░░ ll see more indictments ░░░░░░░░ All right Richard Avery ░░░░░░░░ so much always good ░░░░░░░░ see you Have a ░░░░░░░░ weekend.