In Harvey Weinstein’s first court hearing since his conviction for felony sex crimes was overturned, New York prosecutors told a judge Wednesday that they want to retry him as early as September.
“We think early fall date, possibly as early as September, for a trial,” Assistant District Attorney Nicole Blumberg told a Manhattan criminal court judge.
“It was a strong case, and he was convicted and sentenced to 23 years,” Blumberg said. “It remains a strong case.”
Weinstein’s 2020 conviction in New York was hailed as a pivotal moment for the MeToo reckoning, which exploded into the public consciousness in 2017 when multiple women came forward with allegations of sexual abuse against Weinstein. Last week, the New York state Court of Appeals overturned that conviction, ruling that the disgraced movie producer had not received a fair trial because the judge allowed prosecutors to present testimony from accusers whose allegations were not part of the criminal indictment.
Weinstein is still on the hook for a 16-year sentence in California, where he was convicted of sex crimes in 2022.
Shortly after the New York court ruling, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office said it intended to retry Weinstein. The hearing on Wednesday was the first time a possible timeline was floated. Joining prosecutors at the hearing was actress Jessica Mann, one of the key witnesses against Weinstein. Blumberg said Mann was there “to show she is not backing down.” Mann, who told a jury in 2020 about how Weinstein had raped her in wrenching detail, has said she is “ready” to go through another trial, even though her initial testimony put her in “a lot of pain.” Judge Curtis Farber remanded Weinstein to Bellevue Hospital, where he has been receiving treatment since the day after his conviction was overturned. Weinstein spokesperson Juda Engelmayer said last week that the 72-year-old had heart and auditory issues. His next court hearing is scheduled for May 29.
Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News.
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