Weinstein LA New Trial Motion
Weinstein LA New Trial Motion
Weinstein LA New Trial Motion
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Jacqueline Sparagna Esq. (State Bar No. 3 1 5 2 7 5 )
Telephone: ( 2 1 3 ) 688-0460
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Facsimile: ( 2 1 3 ) 6 2 4 - 1 9 4 2
CALIFORNIA, )
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) NOTICE OF MOTION; MOTION FOR
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HARVEY WEINSTEIN, )
17 Date: February 23, 2023
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Time: 8 : 3 0 am
Defendant. )
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Dept.: 110
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MARTINEZ:
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1 TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE(S)
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3 I. INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
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2. SUMMARY OF THE EXCLUDED EVIDENCE. . . . . . . . . . . . 5
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Prosecutors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
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SHIELD LAWS 17
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2. SUMMARY OF THE RULINGS OF THIS COURT. . . . . . . . . 27
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3. INSTRUCTING THE JURY ON CALCRIM 3 7 1 WAS
12 CREATED BY CALCRIM 3 7 1 32
13 III. CONCLUSION 33
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TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
PAGE(S)
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FEDERAL CASES
5 (1966) 3 8 4 U . S . 1 5
Chambers v. Mississippi
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( 1 9 7 3 ) 4 1 0 U . S . 284 4
(2002) 5 3 4 U . S . 246 24
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Pennsylvania v. Ritchie
9 ( 1 9 8 7 ) 480 U . S . 39 4
Pointer v. Texas
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( 1 9 6 5 ) 3 8 0 U . S . 400 4
11 Washington v. Texas
(1967) 3 8 8 U.S. 1 4 4
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13 STATE CASES
In re Saunders
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( 1 9 7 0 ) 2 Cal.3d 1 0 3 3 3
15 People v. Arias
( 1 9 9 6 ) 13 Cal.4th 92 15
16 People v. Bain
( 1 9 7 1 ) 5 Cal.3d 839 3 1 , 32
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People v. Blackburn
People v. Burrell-Hart
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( 1 9 8 7 ) 1 9 2 Cal.App.3d 593 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
20 People v. Cunnings
( 1 9 9 3 ) 4 Cal.4th 1 2 3 3 32
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People v. Daggett
22 ( 1 9 9 0 ) 225 Cal.App.3d 7 5 1 18
People v. Davis
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( 1 9 7 3 ) 3 1 Cal.App.3d 1 0 6 3
24 People v. Drake
( 1 9 9 2 ) 6 Cal.App.4th 92 3
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People v. Edgmon
People v. Franklin
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(1994) 25 Cal.App.4th 3 2 8 18, 19
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-111
1 PAGE(S)
People v. Guiton
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(1 9 9 3 ) 4 Cal.4th 11 1 6 24
3 People v. Hendrix
( 2 0 1 3 ) 2 1 4 Cal.App.4th 2 1 6 29
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People v. Jackson
People v. Johnston
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(2003) 1 13 Cal.App.4th 1 2 9 9 4
7 People v. Knutte
( 1 8 9 6 ) 1 1 1 Cal. 453 4
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People v. Lewis
9 (2001) 26 Cal.4th 3 3 4 4
People v. Lopez
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(1969) 1 Cal.App.3d 78 3
11 People v. Lucas
( 1 9 9 5 ) 1 2 Cal.4th 4 1 5 4
12 ,People v. Memro
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( 1 9 9 5 ) 1 1 Cal.4th 7 8 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
People v. Mizchele
14 ( 1 9 8 3 ) 142 Cal.App.3d 6 8 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
15 People v. Perkin
(1948) 87 Cal.App.2d 3 6 5 3, 4
16 ,People v. Ratliff
People v. Saddler
18 ( 1 9 7 9 ) 24 Cal.3d 6 7 1 25
People v. Taylor
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( 1 9 8 4 ) 162 Cal.App.3d 720 3
20 People v. Tidwell
22 ( 1 9 8 7 ) 1 9 5 Cal.App.3d 244 24
People v. Thompson
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(1 9 8 8 ) 45 Cal.3d 86 31
24 People v. Whittington
( 1 9 7 7 ) 74 Cal.App.3d 806 3
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People v. Wilson
People v. Wims
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( 1 9 9 5 ) 10 Cal.4th 293 24
( 1 9 7 4 ) 3 9 Cal.App.3d 857 3
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1 PAGE(S)
3 U . S . Const., 6th 4
U . S . Const., 14th 4
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Cal. Const. Art I, $ 2 8 ( f) ( 2 ) . . . . . . . . . 8 . . . . · · . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
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STATE STATUTES
7 Evid. C o d e , § 3 5 0 15
Evid. C o d e , § 3 5 1 5
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Evid. C o d e , § 3 5 2 15
9 Evid. C o d e , § 3 5 6 15
Evid. C o d e , § 780 17
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Evid. C o d e , § 780 (h) 5
Pen. C o d e , § 1 1 8 1 3, 4
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Pen. C o d e , § 1 1 8 1 , subd. (5) 4, 24
16 P en. C o d e , § 1 3 6 . 1 26
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Mark J. Werksman, Esq. (State Bar No. 120767)
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Jacqueline Sparagna Esq. (State Bar No. 3 1 5 2 7 5 )
Telephone: ( 2 1 3 ) 688-0460
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Facsimile: ( 2 1 3 ) 6 2 4 - 1 9 4 2
CALIFORNIA, )
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) NOTICE OF MOTION; MOTION FOR
)
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HARVEY WEINSTEIN, )
17 Date: February 2 3 , 2023
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Time: 8 : 3 0 am
Defendant. )
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Dept.: 110
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MARTINEZ:
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PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that on February 23, 2023, or as soon thereafter as the
25 Weinstein, by and through his counsel of record, WERKSMAN JACKSON & QUINN LLP,
26 will move this Court for a New Trial, or, in the alternative, to reduce the verdict. This
27 Motion is based on the transcripts of the trial, any pre-trial Motions, the Court's file in th
28 instant case, the attached Memorandum of Points and Authorities, the Declaration of
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Jacqueline Sparagna and attached exhibits, and any argument at the hearing on this
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Motion.
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Dated: January 3 1 , 2023
Alan J. Jackson
8 Kelly C. Quinn
Jacqueline Sparagna
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Attorneys for Defendant
10 Harvey Weinstein
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I.
INTRODUCTION
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A New Trial Motion presents a trial court with the rare opportunity to reconsider
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its rulings at trial in light of how the evidence was actually admitted or used at trial. (See
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the singular responsibility of setting right those prejudicial errors which often become
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apparent only with the benefit of hindsight by ordering "reexamination of the issue[ s] in
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the same Court, before another jury." (Pen. Code, § 1 1 7 9 ; see Pen. Code, § 1 1 8 1 . ) Before
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and during trial in the instant case, the Court heard significant arguments on numerous
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evidentiary issues. Key pieces of evidence can now be reviewed for how they were
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admitted, used by the People in closing argument, and ultimately affected the trial.
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II.
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MEMORANDUM OF POINTS AND AUTHORITIES
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Penal Code section 1 1 8 1 provides a list of grounds for granting a new trial. (Pen.
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Code, § 1 1 8 1 . ) Additionally, a new trial may be granted on grounds other than those
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listed in Penal Code section 1 1 8 1 : [t]he power to grant a new trial on such nonstatutory
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grounds obviously is derived from the trial court's constitutional duty to insure an
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accused a fair trial." (People v. Davis (1 9 7 3 ) 3 1 Cal.App.3d 106, 1 10 , citing In re
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Saunders ( 1 9 7 0 ) 2 Cal.3d 1 0 3 3 , 1 0 4 1. )
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"The new trial motion is a powerful weapon in the arsenal of the defense in a
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criminal case" and is considered essential to the trial process. (People v. Edgmon (1 9 6 8 )
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267 Cal.App.2d 7 5 9 , 7 6 6 ; see People v. Lopez (1 9 6 9 ) 1 Cal.App.3d 78, 82--83.) A court
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has broad discretion in ruling on the motion. (See People v. Whittington (1 9 7 7 ) 74
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Cal.App.3d 806, 8 2 1 , fn. 7 ; People v. Taylor ( 1 9 8 4 ) 1 6 2 Cal.App.3d 720, 724; Brodie v.
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United States (D.C. Cir. 1 9 6 1 ) 295 F . 2 d 1 5 7 , 1 6 0 . ) In fact, "[t]he determination of a
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motion for a new trial rests so completely within the trial court's discretion that its
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decision on the matter will not be disturbed on appeal unless manifest and unmistakable
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abuse of discretion clearly appears." (Rogers v. County of Los Angeles ( 1 9 7 4 ) 39
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Cal.App.3d 857, 8 6 3 ; see People v. Drake ( 1 9 9 2 ) 6 Cal.App.4th 92, 9 8 . )
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1 A. THE DEFENSE WAS PRECLUDED FROM ADMITTING EVIDENCE
The list in Penal Code 1 1 8 1 includes where the court "has erred in the decision of
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any question oflaw arising during the course of the trial." (Pen. C o d e , § 1 1 8 1 , subd. ( 5 ) . )
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This is a broad category allowing the court to reconsider any error in ruling on matters of
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procedural evidence, particularly in light of how the evidence was actually used at trial.
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reweighs the evidence and exercises independent judgment. (See People v. Knutte ( 1 8 9 6 )
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may reweigh evidence, even to extent that conflicts with jury findings]; People v. Lewis
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"Few rights are more fundamental [to fair trial and due process] than that of an
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accused to present witnesses in his own defense." (Chambers v. Mississippi (1 9 7 3 ) 4 10
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U . S . 284, 302); see U . S . Const., 5th, 6th, 14th Amends.; Pennsylvania v. Ritchie ( 1 9 8 7 )
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480 U . S . 39, 56 [6th Amendment grants defendant right to put before jury evidence that
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might influence guilt determination]; Washington v. Texas ( 1 9 6 7 ) 3 8 8 U . S . 14, 1 8 1 9
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(Washington); see also Cal. Const., art. I, $ 1 5 ; People v. Lucas ( 1 9 9 5 ) 1 2 Cal.4th 4 1 5 ,
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4 3 6 . ) This right "in plain terms [is] the right to present a defense, the right to present the
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defendant's version of the facts as well as the prosecution's to the jury so it may decide
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where the truth lies . . . . This right is a fundamental element of due process oflaw."
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(Washington, supra, 328 U . S . at p. 1 9 . ) Additionally, the Sixth Amendment guarantees
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the "right of an accused to confront the witnesses against him[.]" (Pointer v. Texas ( 1 9 6 5
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3 8 0 U . S . 400, 4 0 3 . ) "There are few subjects, perhaps, upon which this Court and other
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courts have been more nearly unanimous than in their expressions of belief that the right
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of confrontation and cross-examination is an essential and fundamental requirement for
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the kind of fair trial which is this country's constitutional goal." (Id. at p. 4 0 5 . ) The
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United States Supreme Court has strictly construed the right to confrontation, going so fa
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as to say that if a criminal defendant is denied cross-examination without first waiving
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this right, it "would be constitutional error of the first magnitude and no amount of
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showing of want of prejudice would cure it." (Brookhart v. Janis ( 1 9 6 6 ) 3 8 4 U . S . 1 , 3 . )
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Additionally, subject to statutory exception, "all relevant evidence is admissible."
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(People v. Mizchele ( 1 9 8 3 ) 142 Cal.App.3d 6 8 6 , 690, citing Evid. C o d e , § 3 5 1. ) The
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Right to Truth-in-Evidence Law in the California Constitution clearly provides that
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"relevant evidence shall not be excluded in any criminal proceeding." (Cal. Const. Art I,
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§ 28(±)(2).) California Evidence Code section 2 10 defines relevant evidence as "evidence,
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including evidence relevant to the credibility of a witness or hearsay declarant, having
1 any tendency in reason to prove or disprove any disputed fact that is of consequence to
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the determination of the action." Furthermore, "any matter that has any tendency in
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reason to prove or disprove the truthfulness of [ a witness's] testimony at a hearing" is
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relevant, including: (1 ) "[a] statement made by [her] that is inconsistent with any part-of
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[her] testimony," and (2) "[t]he existence or nonexistence of any fact testified to by
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[her]." (Evid., Code, § 780 (h), (i).)
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2. SUMMARY OF THE EXCLUDED EVIDENCE
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At trial, the People presented affirmative evidence through the testimony of Jane
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Doe 1 and Pascal Vicedomini concerning the nature of their relationship. In response, the
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defense sought to admit impeachment evidence that would/could have been introduced
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via the testimony of Mr. Vicedomini, Jane Doe 1 , and Facebook messages between the
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two, attached as Exhibits G and H to the Declaration of Jacqueline Sparagna ("Sparagna
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Deel.").
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a. Pascal Vicedomini and Jane Doe 1 Testified That the Nature of
On October 4, 2022, the People took the conditional exam of Pascal Vicedomini,
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which was later admitted at trial. Mr. Vicedomini is the founder of the Italian Film
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Festival in Los Angeles. He testified that he has been friends with Jane Doe 1 since 2009.
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In February 2 0 13 , the two lived in Italy, and flew to Los Angeles to attend the festival.
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The People opened the door to the nature of their relationship when they elicited the
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following from Mr. Vicedomini: "And we became friends, and it was always a
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transparent friendship. It was always a crystal clear friendship without any moments of
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crisis." (October 4, 2022, RT 1 8 : 1 9 - 2 4 : Exhibit B of Sparagna Decl.)'
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On October 26, 2022, during the direct examination of Jane Doe 1 , the People
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again opened the door by presenting the testimony of Jane Doe 1 , wherein she stated that
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she was a friend and co-worker ofMr. Vicedomini. (October 26, 2022, RT 2 4 0 8 : 11 - 1 2 :
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Exhibit B of Sparagna Deel.)
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b. February 12, 2013 Facebook Messages Showing A
Vicedomini
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After the People presented the testimony concerning the nature of the relationship,
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the defense attempted to impeach Mr. Vicedomini and Jane Doe 1 with their sexually
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Mr. Vicedomini to come to the festival, and less than a week before they visited one
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another in each other's hotel rooms,2 they communicated as follows:
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18 1 7 : 10 Pascal: as soon as you're here . . . I' ll show you right away how
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On cross, Mr. Vicedomini reiterated numerous times that he and Jane Doe 1 were just
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friends, including: ( 1 ) " .. . [a]s I said we do have a great friendship and this friendship
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goes back to 2009. We have a very pleasant relationship. It's a fun relationship." (Id. at p .
1 0 3 : 1 0 - 1 3 . ) (2) "it was a great friendship. I had a great friendship with her and with her
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children over the years I had established a very friendly relationship with her and her
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family." (Id. at p. 7 9 : 9 - 1 2 . ) And, (3) "I'm always very, as I said, I'm very affectionate
and very open as a human being until we reach a certain level then it remains within the
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Jane Doe 1 testified that Mr. Vicedomini came to her room at Mr. C ' s on February 1 6 ,
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2 0 13 , and that she went to Mr. Vicedomini's room at his hotel on February 1 8 , 2 0 13 .
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For the sake of brevity, not every message was included in this summary. The complete
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happy I am
17:14 Pascal: just think that while I'm talking to you something is
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happening to me
17:14 Pascal:
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17: 18 Pascal: you can just imagine what's happening right now
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17: 19 Jane Doe 1 : are you touching yourself?!!
At the conditional exam, the defense requested to question Mr. Vicedomini about
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18 the messages because 1 ) they show that Mr. Vicedomini lied, under oath, about the nature
19 of their relationship; and 2) the true nature of their romantic relationship establishes that
it would be anathema for Mr. Vicedomini to provide his lover's room number to Harvey
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Weinstein. (October 4, 2022, RT 8 5 : 2 7 8 7 : 5 : Exhibit A.) Counsel offered to point the
22 Court to the specific section that showed the existence of a sexual relationship in the
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messages, and the Court stopped him by stating, "I can read." (Id. at p. 8 7 : 9 . ) The Court
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appeared to understand that the defense was referring to the comments about Mr.
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Vicedomini's arousal ("while I'm talking to you something is happening to me"),
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masturbation ("are you touching yourself?"), oral sex ("I'd need your beautiful mouth
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now"), and Mr. Vicedomini's statement that Jane Doe 1 "knows him too well" in
28 that arena. Nevertheless, the Court excluded the messages, stating the messages did not
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disprove that the two were only friends, and it did not want to "get into the nitty gritty of
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the relationship between [Mr. Vicedomini] and Jane Doe I." (Id. at p. 8 8 : 2 - 7 . )
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c. October 26, 2022 Statement of Jane Doe 1 to Prosecutors
4 After Jane Doe 1 testified on direct examination that she and Mr. Vicedomini were
5 friends and coworkers, she was asked on cross-examination about the relationship:
6 "That's because you and Pascal had a relationship together, didn't you?" and the People
7 objected. (October 26, 2022, RT at 3 0 2 8 : 2 6 - 2 8 : Exhibit B . ) The Court then took a break,
8 and the parties went in chambers to discuss the relevance of Jane Doe 1 ' s relationship
10 During that break, Jane Doe 1 had a conversation with the prosecutors, wherein
11 she informed them that she did in fact have a sexual relationship with Mr. Vicedomini.
12 During the chambers conference, Deputy District Attorney Paul Thompson stated:
13 So a couple things. One is we just had a conversation with her. She's very
15 with him at one point in time while she was going through a breakup
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Thus, by her own admission to the prosecutors, Jane Doe 1 lied when she testified
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under oath that the extent of her relationship with Mr. Vicedomini was only that of
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friends and coworkers. The defense, again, pleaded with the Court to admit her admission
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and the February 1 2 , 2 0 1 3 Facebook messages because, at a minimum: 1 ) evidence of
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their sexual relationship showed that both she and Mr. Vicedomini lied to the jury, 2)
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their romance establishes that Mr. Vicedomini would not be inclined to provide his
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lover's room number to Harvey Weinstein, and 3) the full context would have made the
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defense's theory that Jane Doe 1 was actually with Pascal at his hotel on the night of the
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alleged rape more plausible to the jury.
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Defense counsel requested that the Court review the Facebook messages beginning on
February 1 2 , 2 0 1 3 and argued that if the Court looks "at the continuous conversation . . .