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Harvey Weinstein's rape trial has been postponed until 9 September.
The dishonored film producer was to be tried on June 3, but Judge James Burke agreed to give the defense more time to prepare.
Weinstein is charged with five counts of rape and badual badault involving two victims. He could be imprisoned for life if convicted. Burke ordered Friday the closing of the hearing room for a pleading on a motion of the prosecution to allow more women to testify in this case.
Robert Balin, a lawyer representing more than a dozen media outlets, protested that the hearing was to be open to the public and pledged to appeal Burke's decision.
The media was allowed to return to the courtroom Friday afternoon for a discussion on the timing issues. The prosecution expects that its part of the case will take about three weeks, while defense lawyer, Jose Baez, felt that it would take a week to defend himself. The selection of the jury should last about two weeks.
Weinstein was originally scheduled to be tried in May, but he separated from his lead counsel, Ben Brafman, in January, causing a delay.
Weinstein is accused of badually badaulting Mimi Haleyi, a former production badistant, at his home in 2006. He is also charged with raping an unidentified woman in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013. Prosecutors want to call other women with similar allegations a tendency to misconduct. The number and identity of these women were kept secret.
The defense argued that calling such witnesses would be detrimental to the case and asked the court to close the Friday hearing on the subject to avoid tarnishing the pool of jurors. The prosecution also requested the closure of the hearing, including to protect the identity of the witnesses. Burke's decision, if he took one, was not disclosed.
Both parties also discussed discovery issues on Friday as the defense sought to access cell phone recordings of a witness.
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