A handful of potential jurors up for service in the rape trial of Harvey Weinstein were rejected Thursday after writing, speaking out loud and doubling-down on their lack of trust in what has come to be known as the #MeToo movement.
None of the small group of people who openly expressed skepticism for #MeToo – all of whom made it to the final round – was selected for the panel. A jury of nine men and three women was seated Thursday, with seven alternates joining them at the trial set to begin Monday.
At one point Thursday, Judge Lisa Lench questioned a young man who had written “the #MeToo movement is pointless and fraudulent” on his juror questionnaire.
“I don’t really believe in that movement,” the man said. “I myself wouldn’t believe every woman who said someone did something to them.”
Deputy District Attorney Marlene Martinez asked the man: “You wouldn’t believe every woman, but if someone came forward, would you have a bias?”
“More like not believing them,” he replied, adding that he would be “skeptical” of prosecuting a crime committed more than eight years ago.
Juror No. 56 wasn’t the only to express doubt about the #MeToo movement in open court. The very next juror, also a man, said he agreed with 56: “It probably is true for some of the women that would come forward with it, but I would be skeptical about probably some of them.”
He repeated what other prospective jurors have said across the various #MeToo-related crimes going on this month: “I think it’s kind of hard to prove that someone has been sexually assaulted without any DNA.”
Another juror, a young woman known as Juror No. 69, said on her questionnaire that she had a problem with people being prosecuted for sex crimes more than eight years old.
“I believe that it should be immediately reported,” she said under questioning. “I believe they should report immediately, because there are memory gaps and loss of memory.”
Later, a very soft-spoken young man known as Juror 74, who wrote that he had no opinion on #MeToo because he hadn’t heard of it before, said now that he knows what it is, remains skeptical of … well … everyone. He said he works in a place “where people lie to gain an advantage,” including with allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior.
“Sometimes I believe people, sometimes I don’t, but sometimes I really don’t believe people,” he said.
