New York Prosecutors Request September Retrial for Harvey Weinstein
NEW YORK – Prosecutors have asked for a September retrial for Harvey Weinstein during a hearing held on Wednesday in Manhattan. This marks the disgraced movie mogul’s first court appearance since his 2020 rape conviction was overturned by an appeals court last week.
One of Weinstein’s accusers, Jessica Mann, was present in the courtroom on Wednesday and is prepared to testify again, according to Assistant District Attorney Nicole Blumberg. She emphasized that the accuser wants to make it known that while the defendant may have power, she holds the truth.
“We believe in this case and will be retrying this case,” Blumberg added during the hearing.
The judge, Curtis Farber, has set a pretrial court date for May 29, with the intention of beginning the trial sometime after Labor Day.
Weinstein, wearing a navy-blue suit, was observed in a wheelchair and did not address the court. However, he smiled and shook hands with supporters in the gallery.
The former actor, who is 72 years old and struggling with cardiac issues and diabetes, has been hospitalized since his return to the city jail system from an upstate prison.
Weinstein’s attorney, Arthur Aidala, expressed no concern about his client’s mental abilities, describing Weinstein as sharp and ready to prove his innocence.
In the New York case that has been overturned, Weinstein was convicted of rape in the third degree for an attack on aspiring actress Mann in 2013 and for forcing himself on a TV and film production assistant, Mimi Haley, in 2006. Weinstein had pleaded not guilty and maintained that any sexual activity was consensual.
Weinstein was also convicted of another rape in Los Angeles in 2022 and is currently serving a 16-year prison sentence in California. However, he remains in custody in New York and will return to Manhattan’s Bellevue Hospital.
Following the ruling that vacated his conviction in New York, there has been a mix of reactions from supporters and critics of the #MeToo movement which had sparked a wave of sexual-misconduct claims in Hollywood and beyond.
Weinstein’s retrial is scheduled for September, pending further court proceedings.
