Judge threatens jail-time for Harvey Weinstein after producer caught texting in court
Prosecutors argue former mogul is at 'grave risk' of fleeing because of 'imposing and overwhelming' evidence
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Your support makes all the difference.A judge threatened to revoke bail and jail former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein after he was caught texting in court, marking a second explosive day in his trial for sexual assault charges.
Jury selection is under way for Mr Weinstein's trial in New York, where he is accused of assaulting two women, one in 2006 and the other in 2013.
New York Criminal Court Judge James Burke was visibly angry, asking Mr Weinstein whether he wants to "end up in jail for the rest of your life, by texting and violating a court order", according to reports. He told Mr Weinstein not to answer.
Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon, who is leading the prosecution, urged the judge to jail Mr Weinstein because of a "grave risk" that he will try to flee once he sees "imposing and overwhelming" evidence against him, she said.
Judge Burke let Mr Weinstein off with a warning, saying that he is not looking for an apology but "compliance" in his courtroom.
Mr Weinstein is currently out on bail and is wearing an electronic monitoring device on his ankle.
More than 80 women have accused Mr Weinstein of assault and abuse in incidents spanning several decades.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges he faces against the two women he is accused of assaulting in the New York trial and has denied any wrongdoing against his other accusers.
The second day of Mr Weinstein's trial followed a dramatic day inside and outside the court on Monday, when his accusers rallied against abusers and their accomplices on the courthouse steps and vowed to name people within Mr Weinstein's circle who knew about and aided his abuse.
Hours later, the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office announced new indictments of rape and assault against him.
In that case, he is accused of raping a woman and sexually assaulting another woman over a two-day period in the Los Angles area in February 2013.
He was indicted on charges of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, sexual penetration by use of force and sexual battery by restraint.
Those charges were among allegations from eight women who accused Mr Weinstein of assaulting them, according to Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey. Three cases fell beyond the statute of limitations, but police are determining whether to file charges in the other three cases.
Victims in the two Los Angeles cases are not among the dozens of women who have publicly accused the former producer of assault, but one victim is expected to testify in the New York trial, according to Ms Lacey.