Harvey Weinstein appeared in court in New York for a hearing in preparation for his retrial on sex crimes charges related to his #MeToo case. The hearing saw Judge Curtis Farber granting a prosecution request to consolidate the existing case and a new charge into a single trial.
The former movie mogul's 2020 conviction was overturned earlier this year by the state's highest court, leading to a retrial on two sex crime charges. In September, Weinstein faced a new charge alleging another assault, to which he pleaded not guilty.
The original conviction included charges of forcibly performing oral sex on a TV and film production assistant in 2006 and third-degree rape for an attack on an aspiring actor in 2013. The new charge accuses him of forcing oral sex on a different woman in a Manhattan hotel in the spring of 2006.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office argued that consolidating the cases would prevent inefficiency and save judicial resources, citing significant overlap in criminal statutes, witnesses, expert testimony, and evidence.
Weinstein's defense team contended that the cases should remain separate, accusing prosecutors of trying to expand the retrial scope and turn it into a new proceeding by adding the new charges.
Concerns were raised about the trial start date, initially set for November 12, with both defense lawyers and prosecutors expressing doubts about adequate preparation time.
Weinstein, who has faced health issues in custody at Rikers Island jail complex, was also convicted of rape in Los Angeles in 2022, with ongoing appeals by his legal team.
The allegations against Weinstein in 2017 played a pivotal role in propelling the #MeToo movement. The 72-year-old, known for co-founding Miramax and The Weinstein Company, produced acclaimed films like 'Shakespeare in Love' and 'The Crying Game'.
