Harvey Weinstein faces four counts of rape and seven counts of sexual assault in Los Angeles.
Opening statements in the case are expected to begin today.
The charges are the latest in a long line of accusations against the disgraced movie mogul, once considered Hollywood royalty and one of the most awarded producers in history.
The 70-year-old is already serving 23 years in prison in California for rape and sexual assault after being convicted in New York in 2020.
Here are all the details about his latest court case.
What has Weinstein been accused of?
Weinstein is accused of 11 counts of rape and sexual assault against five women in LA and Beverley Hills between 2004 and 2013.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
If convicted of the 11 charges, Weinstein could be sentenced to up to 140 years in prison.
Who are Weinstein’s accusers?
Documentary filmmaker and actress Jennifer Siebel Newsom is one of five women accusing Weinstein.
He appeared in small roles in dozens of films and television shows between 2002 and 2011, and has recently directed genre-focused documentaries such as The Great American Lie and Fair Play. She is married to California Governor Gavin Newsom.
She initially wrote about her experience with Weinstein in a 2017 essay in the Huffington Post, but revealed few details at the time.
Image: Jennifer Siebel Newsom
Newsom’s attorney, Elizabeth Fegan, said in a statement: “Like many other women, my client was sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein in an alleged business meeting that turned out to be a set-up.
“She intends to testify at her trial to seek some justice for the survivors and as part of her life’s work to improve the lives of women.”
The other four women will remain anonymous and testify as Jane Doe.
Most of the alleged incidents, like Ms. Newsom’s, took place under the guise of business meetings at luxury hotels in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, which Weinstein used as his California headquarters during awards season and during the whole year.
Four of the alleged attacks are said to have occurred during the week of the 2013 Oscars, where Weinstein’s blockbuster films Silver Linings Playbook and Django Unchained took home numerous statuettes.
Image: Weinstein was photographed with a walking frame at his previous trial
Who are the witnesses?
The initial witness list had more than 270 names, although the final list is expected to have less than half that number. The list has not been made public.
One witness, Barbara Schneeweiss, a producer on Project Runway and other TV shows, was in court and was told by a judge that she was on call to come in at any time.
Jurors were also given a long list of names of witnesses in the upcoming trial, including those of the accusers, to determine if they have any connection to them.
Read more: Harvey Weinstein: The fall of the king of Hollywood
The prosecution will also be able to enter into evidence parts of Weinstein’s conviction in New York for rape and sexual assault.
A potential witness against Weinstein is Hollywood actor and director Mel Gibson after a judge ruled he can testify.
Prosecutors say Gibson, who won an Oscar for directing Braveheart, was friends with one of the accusers.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lisa Lench ruled Gibson could testify about what the friend told her about Weinstein, though the judge said she could change her mind based on the witness’ testimony friend
Will there be a jury?
It is a jury trial, and 12 jurors – nine men and three women – have been selected.
They seem to be mostly between 40 and 70 years old. Some appear to be older than that, and one man appears to be in his mid-20s.
Ten alternate jurors will also be in attendance for the entire duration of the trial, ready to step in and replace any of the 12 jurors, should someone be unable to serve.
They were chosen from a pool of 225 potential jurors, all of whom filled out a lengthy questionnaire.
It is understood to have contained questions such as how much media coverage of Weinstein they had seen and whether opinions had been formed from it.
There was also a question about a California law that says only the testimony of a sexual assault victim can be enough evidence to convict if a jury believes them.
Image: Weinstein at his 2020 trial in New York
What happened during the 2020 New York trial?
Weinstein is currently serving a 23-year prison sentence in California, after being extradited there following his conviction in March 2020 for assaulting production assistant Mimi Haleyi in her apartment in 2006 and for raping Jessica Mann in the third degree in 2013
He is currently appealing these convictions.
During a landmark trial, more than 100 women, including famous actresses such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Salma Hayek and Uma Thurman, accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct dating back decades, fueling the #MeToo movement against sexual abuse and harassment .
He was acquitted of first-degree rape and two counts of predatory sexual assault dating back to the 1990s.
Before his extradition to California, he was serving his sentence at the Wende Correctional Facility in Buffalo, New York, a maximum security prison.
Image: Weinstein in his prime, pictured on a red carpet in 2015
How did Weinstein fall from grace?
Harvey Weinstein was once the king of Hollywood, a man with the power to make and break movie careers.
But in October 2017, in reports from the New York Times and the New Yorker, the Oscar-winning producer was accused of sexual misconduct by several women. He was also accused of reaching settlements to keep the stories quiet.
In the months that followed, dozens more women came forward to allege incidents of rape, sexual assault and harassment by Weinstein spanning decades.
Police investigations into the allegations stretched from Los Angeles to New York and London.
Weinstein admitted that his behavior had “caused a lot of pain” but consistently denied all sexual allegations made against him.
In September 2020, Weinstein was stripped of his CBE following his conviction.
Numerous other honors awarded to Weinstein during his career, including France’s prestigious Legion of Honor, have been revoked since the allegations against him emerged.
The multiple Oscar winner, responsible for such blockbusters as Pulp Fiction, The English Patient, Good Will Hunting, Gangs Of New York and Shakespeare In Love, was expelled from the Academy in 2017.
They had previously nominated his work for 341 awards, earning him 81 statuettes over the past 26 years.