Herman on Weinstein’s Defense: ‘It’s an Extremely Defensible and Winnable Case’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT I want ░░░░░░░░ bring in Avery freedman ░░░░░░░░ civil rights attorney and ░░░░░░░░ professor and Richard Herman ░░░░░░░░ criminal defense attorney and ░░░░░░░░ professor Good to see ░░░░░░░░ both Happy new year ░░░░░░░░ new year to you ░░░░░░░░ to you first Let ░░░░░░░░ talk about this Weinstein ░░░░░░░░ attorney s assessment how ░░░░░░░░ of her statement do ░░░░░░░░ agree with that this ░░░░░░░░ of publicity could actually ░░░░░░░░ them in their case ░░░░░░░░ don t know if ░░░░░░░░ can help them Fred ░░░░░░░░ only two charges two ░░░░░░░░ in the New York ░░░░░░░░ and all the other ░░░░░░░░ there s no other ░░░░░░░░ brought L A Has ░░░░░░░░ open cases but they ░░░░░░░░ t filed charges London ░░░░░░░░ investigating him They haven ░░░░░░░░ filed anything Only New ░░░░░░░░ and they ve brought ░░░░░░░░ in my opinion flimsy ░░░░░░░░ Now it s morally ░░░░░░░░ the way he conducted ░░░░░░░░ Personally I believe that ░░░░░░░░ from a defense perspective ░░░░░░░░ it s an extremely ░░░░░░░░ and winnable case for ░░░░░░░░ Weinstein It s about ░░░░░░░░ pro quo It s ░░░░░░░░ consent and nonconsent If ░░░░░░░░ rules of the game ░░░░░░░░ you play around with ░░░░░░░░ and I ll enhance ░░░░░░░░ career and I ll ░░░░░░░░ you a movie star ░░░░░░░░ have a choice The ░░░░░░░░ is here You can ░░░░░░░░ out the door and ░░░░░░░░ about it or if ░░░░░░░░ play it s on ░░░░░░░░ Fred and you need ░░░░░░░░ to have rape So ░░░░░░░░ it s going to ░░░░░░░░ tough picking a jury ░░░░░░░░ s going to take ░░░░░░░░ three to four weeks ░░░░░░░░ pick a jury in ░░░░░░░░ York You re going ░░░░░░░░ have stealth jurors some ░░░░░░░░ going to want to ░░░░░░░░ him Consent nonkonsent that ░░░░░░░░ at the root of ░░░░░░░░ alleged sexual assault cases ░░░░░░░░ course it is Avery ░░░░░░░░ is it a detriment ░░░░░░░░ it s two people ░░░░░░░░ dozens Why would that ░░░░░░░░ make a difference an ░░░░░░░░ or alleged assault on ░░░░░░░░ is too many isn ░░░░░░░░ it I agree I ░░░░░░░░ Richard wasn t speaking ░░░░░░░░ all men I feel ░░░░░░░░ This is a case ░░░░░░░░ two individuals And the ░░░░░░░░ sounds eerily similar to ░░░░░░░░ Cosby Two men of ░░░░░░░░ individuals who assert the ░░░░░░░░ from 10 years 20 ░░░░░░░░ ago You have prior ░░░░░░░░ acts evidence that will ░░░░░░░░ coming in I actually ░░░░░░░░ that this is a ░░░░░░░░ that can be made ░░░░░░░░ prosecutors do it right ░░░░░░░░ I think there s ░░░░░░░░ way you can minimize ░░░░░░░░ historical significance of what ░░░░░░░░ going on Yeah there ░░░░░░░░ a possibility of stealth ░░░░░░░░ and these lawyers are ░░░░░░░░ to have about 15 ░░░░░░░░ per juror to get ░░░░░░░░ in order But something ░░░░░░░░ me the testimony that ░░░░░░░░ going to surface in ░░░░░░░░ trial is going to ░░░░░░░░ sufficient I believe to ░░░░░░░░ a conviction Prosecutors added ░░░░░░░░ term predatory to some ░░░░░░░░ the charges Richard Why ░░░░░░░░ that or how does ░░░░░░░░ you know dynamic change ░░░░░░░░ Under New York criminal ░░░░░░░░ and criminal statutes in ░░░░░░░░ York Fred if you ░░░░░░░░ that label to it ░░░░░░░░ you re able to ░░░░░░░░ the conduct rose to ░░░░░░░░ level you re able ░░░░░░░░ enhance the sentencing after ░░░░░░░░ But we re a ░░░░░░░░ way away from conviction ░░░░░░░░ ll give you one ░░░░░░░░ One of the victims ░░░░░░░░ has to prove her ░░░░░░░░ beyond a reasonable doubt ░░░░░░░░ a month has emails ░░░░░░░░ Harvey Weinstein saying how ░░░░░░░░ she loved him and ░░░░░░░░ much she appreciates everything ░░░░░░░░ s done for her ░░░░░░░░ defense there s a ░░░░░░░░ case here Fred It ░░░░░░░░ like you know the ░░░░░░░░ Rocco lamb poen in ░░░░░░░░ Godfather difficult but not ░░░░░░░░ And this is for ░░░░░░░░ defense attorney all you ░░░░░░░░ ever ask for is ░░░░░░░░ defensible case And this ░░░░░░░░ one And you re ░░░░░░░░ to see vicious cross ░░░░░░░░ by the lead female ░░░░░░░░ for Harvey wine stooip ░░░░░░░░ female can do it ░░░░░░░░ can t do it ░░░░░░░░ a female can do ░░░░░░░░ And they re going ░░░░░░░░ punch holes in this ░░░░░░░░ and it s going ░░░░░░░░ be interesting We ll ░░░░░░░░ And morally reprehensible Personally ░░░░░░░░ hate it but this ░░░░░░░░ a winnable case for ░░░░░░░░ defense Are we seeing ░░░░░░░░ window into that defense ░░░░░░░░ you ve got the ░░░░░░░░ attorney who s coming ░░░░░░░░ and speaking this now ░░░░░░░░ response from Weinstein let ░░░░░░░░ repeat what he said ░░░░░░░░ our reporter today I ░░░░░░░░ now that I was ░░░░░░░░ with my work my ░░░░░░░░ my drive for success ░░░░░░░░ caused me to neglect ░░░░░░░░ family my relationships and ░░░░░░░░ lash out at the ░░░░░░░░ around me And then ░░░░░░░░ see the latest images ░░░░░░░░ him using a Walker ░░░░░░░░ leaving a court appearance ░░░░░░░░ what does it tell ░░░░░░░░ about the posturing of ░░░░░░░░ defense Avery Well there ░░░░░░░░ going to be posturing ░░░░░░░░ over the place Think ░░░░░░░░ this You re going ░░░░░░░░ have 80 women who ░░░░░░░░ that they were part ░░░░░░░░ the Weinstein sexual meat ░░░░░░░░ They re going to ░░░░░░░░ in that courtroom It ░░░░░░░░ nothing to do with ░░░░░░░░ merits of the case ░░░░░░░░ the question is between ░░░░░░░░ CNN email and the ░░░░░░░░ going on Michael Smerconish ░░░░░░░░ show that is part ░░░░░░░░ the bigger picture and ░░░░░░░░ can t pretend that ░░░░░░░░ s not a factor ░░░░░░░░ Yeah I just thought ░░░░░░░░ Fred I think that ░░░░░░░░ s going to see ░░░░░░░░ well these women hold ░░░░░░░░ when they testify on ░░░░░░░░ examination Lets see Let ░░░░░░░░ see the holes that ░░░░░░░░ punched in their testimony ░░░░░░░░ defense has spent a ░░░░░░░░ of money in preparation ░░░░░░░░ it s airtight I ░░░░░░░░ t think it is ░░░░░░░░ think there are holes ░░░░░░░░ think there s two ░░░░░░░░ all the 80 claims ░░░░░░░░ he sexually harassed there ░░░░░░░░ only two now It ░░░░░░░░ going to be interesting ░░░░░░░░ that statement that email ░░░░░░░░ to our Chloe melas ░░░░░░░░ then returned you said ░░░░░░░░ s a certain advantage ░░░░░░░░ Donna Rotunno the lawyer ░░░░░░░░ Weinstein has over you ░░░░░░░░ you were defending him ░░░░░░░░ does that translate you ░░░░░░░░ in the courtroom It ░░░░░░░░ in the minds of ░░░░░░░░ If a man defense ░░░░░░░░ just in your mind ░░░░░░░░ beating up a female ░░░░░░░░ it doesn t play ░░░░░░░░ well look well We ░░░░░░░░ see But you will ░░░░░░░░ women who will take ░░░░░░░░ witness stand whether they ░░░░░░░░ at the core of ░░░░░░░░ two allegations or whether ░░░░░░░░ have their own stories ░░░░░░░░ share The prior bad ░░░░░░░░ witnesses That becomes important ░░░░░░░░ becomes important Because the ░░░░░░░░ has already determined that ░░░░░░░░ s going to be ░░░░░░░░ of the evidence the ░░░░░░░░ is going to consider ░░░░░░░░ don t think the ░░░░░░░░ are going to look ░░░░░░░░ a female criminal defense ░░░░░░░░ and say oh that ░░░░░░░░ the prosecution can t ░░░░░░░░ their case There will ░░░░░░░░ good thoughtful jurors and ░░░░░░░░ judge will instruct those ░░░░░░░░ I think the prosecution ░░░░░░░░ going to do just ░░░░░░░░ All right Well the ░░░░░░░░ bad acts there were ░░░░░░░░ charges brought in those ░░░░░░░░ It could play to ░░░░░░░░ defense Leave it there ░░░░░░░░ now Always good to ░░░░░░░░ and hear from you ░░░░░░░░ yet another new year ░░░░░░░░ are you about to ░░░░░░░░ Richard For someone who ░░░░░░░░ 29 years old this ░░░░░░░░ 19 years every week ░░░░░░░░ s amazing What a ░░░░░░░░ That s a long ░░░░░░░░ It is amazing You ░░░░░░░░ are amazing Richard Avery ░░░░░░░░ you so much Thanks ░░░░░░░░ bringing that up Appreciate ░░░░░░░░ We ll be right ░░░░░░░░