Harvey Weinstein enters the Manhattan Criminal Court, on January 16, 2020, in New York City. (Angela Weiss)

New York (AFP) – Lawyers in Harvey Weinstein’s rape and sexual assault trial agreed Friday on a jury of seven men and five women to decide the fate of the fallen film producer.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys settled on the 12 jurors after screening around 700 candidates in an exhaustive process that took almost two weeks.

Weinstein, 67, faces life in prison if convicted on predatory sexual assault charges related to two women in the high-profile trial seen as key to the #MeToo movement.

The trial is expected to last up to eight weeks, with opening arguments from the prosecution and the defense scheduled for Wednesday.

The jury will hear testimony from former production assistant Mimi Haleyi who says Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her in his New York apartment in July 2006.

The disgraced movie mogul is accused of raping another woman, whose identity is unknown.

“Sopranos” actress Annabella Sciorra is expected to testify as a supporting witness. She says Weinstein raped her in the early 1990s.

More than 80 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct since claims against him ignited the #MeToo movement in October 2017. 

But many of the alleged crimes fall outside the time frame for bringing charges.

The trial is expected to run until March 6.

Disclaimer: Validity of the above story is for 7 Days from original date of publishing. Source: AFP.