Harvey Weinstein warned about public relations ‘tentacles’ as lawyer’s op-ed slammed in courtroom

‘I would caution against the tentacles of your public relations juggernaut,’ judge tells Weinstein

An opinion piece written by one of Harvey Weinstein’s defence lawyers came under stern criticism inside the courtroom on Tuesday.

The prosecution and the defence faced off once again as the jury was set to begin deliberating later in the day.

It followed the publication on Saturday of a piece by Donna Rotunno, titled: “Jurors in my client Harvey Weinstein’s case must look past the headlines”.

It led Judge James Burke to tell Rotunno not to talk to the press until the jury reaches a verdict.

“I would caution you about the tentacles of your public relations juggernaut,” Burke told Weinstein.

Rotunno told Burke that the opinion piece was not intended to address the jury directly.

“This is an op-ed about the jury system as a whole, about the criminal justice system as a whole,” she said.

Prosecutors had asked Burke to revoke Weinstein’s bail and jail him, alleging he must have approved the opinion piece. The judge did not act on the request.

The jury of seven men and five women will determine Weinstein’s fate.

The former Hollywood mogul is charged with raping a woman in 2013 and performing a forcible sex act on another woman in 2006. He has pleaded not guilty and denied all allegations of non-consensual sex.

Additional reporting by agencies