One of the jurors picked for Harvey Weinstein’s sex assault trial just wrote a novel — about three young women and their relationships with predatory older men.
During questioning, defense lawyer Damon Cheronis asked the female writer about her book, which comes out later this year.
“It’s about parents and teenagers,” the woman said in Manhattan Supreme Court.
The Weinstein lawyer, whose camp had already researched the book when the woman’s name came up on their potential-juror list, asked her whether the story has anything to do with “predatory older men.”
“All three girls have some relationship with an older man, but it’s not a predatory situation at all,” she replied.
Cheronis pressed again, “Does it have anything to do with sort of individuals who may, young women, who may be involved with older men that may be considered predatory?”
“No,” the woman replied.
But in a brief summary on her personal website, she wrote that the book is about young women and “predatory older men.”
The only mention that the woman made of the book on her 16-page jury questionnaire was to write under hobbies: novel writing.
Weinstein is charged with two counts of predatory sexual assault, two counts of rape and one count of criminal sex act stemming from the allegations of three women. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.
After all the jurors left the courtroom, Cheronis asked the judge to remove the woman since she “lied under oath. She lied about it all.”
Assistant DA Joan Illuzzi-Orbon disagreed, arguing, “I think the characterization she gave under oath is precisely what this book is about.”
Justice James Burke eventually ruled that “challenge for cause is denied,” paving the way for the woman to sit on the panel.
Everyone at the defense table, including Weinstein, shook their heads in disbelief.
In addition to being able to lobby the judge to remove a juror for cause, each side gets what’s known as 20 peremptory challenges to strike a potential panelist without having to give a reason. But the defense had already used up all of of its peremptory challenges, and the judge refused to remove the juror for cause.
The novelist — whose name is being withheld by The Post because she’s a juror — was sworn in along with 11 other panelists and three alternates.
As lead lawyer Donna Rotunno left the courthouse, she called the decision to seat the writer a mistake.
“I think that was an absolutely ridiculous decision,” she said. “It was clear that one of the last jurors lied on her questionnaire and omitted some very important information that could be very integral to this case.”
Openings in the trial are slated for Jan. 22.