Harvey Weinstein’s Lawyers Set to Appear in NY Court Ahead of New Rape Trial, Reports Reuters

By Jack Queen

Harvey Weinstein’s lawyers are set to appear in court on Thursday as Manhattan prosecutors prepare to retry the disgraced former movie mogul on rape charges following the overturning of his previous conviction.

It remains uncertain whether Weinstein will be present in court. He was admitted to the hospital from a New York City jail on Sunday for emergency heart surgery, and his attorneys report that he is facing several health complications.

In February 2020, a Manhattan jury convicted Weinstein of rape. However, the New York Court of Appeals overturned that conviction in April, ruling that he did not receive a fair trial due to a judge’s improper decision to allow testimonies from individuals whom he was not formally charged with assaulting.

Weinstein, now 72, has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has asserted that he never engaged in nonconsensual sexual encounters.

During a court hearing on July 9, prosecutors from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office indicated that they not only plans to retry Weinstein but also seek additional charges related to further violent sexual assaults involving new witnesses willing to testify.

These new accusers have not been publicly named, and the prosecution is requesting that certain evidence remain undisclosed as they prepare to pursue a grand jury indictment.

Judge Curtis Farber, who is overseeing the case, has set a tentative trial date for November 12.

The Manhattan jury previously found Weinstein guilty of sexually assaulting former production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006 and raping aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013. These cases are part of the many allegations made by over 80 women against him regarding sexual misconduct.

The original conviction marked a significant moment for the #MeToo movement, which prompted numerous women to accuse various powerful figures in entertainment, media, politics, and other areas of sexual misconduct.

Weinstein was also convicted of rape in a different trial in California, where he received a 16-year prison sentence. This conviction remains unaffected by the New York appeals court’s recent decision. Although Weinstein is still in custody, he has not yet started serving his sentence in California.

On September 5, British prosecutors announced that they had dropped indecent assault charges against Weinstein, concluding there was no realistic chance of obtaining a conviction.

Weinstein co-founded Miramax, the studio behind acclaimed films such as “Shakespeare in Love” and “Pulp Fiction,” which filed for bankruptcy in March 2018.