Harvey Weinstein faces new criminal charges as Manhattan prosecutors prepare to retry him following the reversal of his rape conviction. In 2020, a jury in Manhattan convicted Weinstein, 72, of rape, but the New York Court of Appeals overturned the conviction in April, ruling that the judge improperly allowed testimony from accusers not formally involved in the case.
In July, Manhattan prosecutors announced they were investigating additional sexual assaults allegedly committed by Weinstein after more women came forward to testify against him. Weinstein continues to deny any non-consensual sexual encounters.
During a Thursday hearing before Judge Curtis Farber in New York state court, prosecutor Nicole Blumberg revealed that a grand jury had indicted Weinstein on new charges, though she did not specify the details. Weinstein was absent from the hearing, having undergone emergency heart surgery after being rushed from Rikers Island jail to the hospital on Sunday. His defense lawyer, Arthur Aidala, mentioned that the grand jury was investigating three “matters” but was unsure whether they referred to specific incidents or the number of accusers.
Judge Farber tentatively set a trial date for November 12, and Blumberg confirmed that prosecutors were prepared to proceed. Aidala, however, indicated that his team would seek to delay the trial if new charges were included.
Despite his overturned New York conviction, Weinstein remains in custody due to a separate rape conviction in California. At Thursday’s hearing, Judge Farber ordered that Weinstein remain in Bellevue Hospital, citing concerns about inadequate treatment at Rikers.
Weinstein’s original conviction marked a significant moment in the #MeToo movement, which saw hundreds of men across various industries accused of sexual misconduct. A New York jury found that Weinstein sexually assaulted former production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006 and raped aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013. These cases were part of a broader list of over 80 women who have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct.
Weinstein received a 23-year prison sentence for his New York conviction, followed by a 16-year sentence in California for separate charges. In the California case, a Los Angeles jury convicted Weinstein of rape, forcible oral copulation, and sexual penetration by a foreign object involving one woman. He was acquitted of charges related to a second accuser, while the judge declared a mistrial on other counts, including allegations made by Siebel Newsom, wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom. The California conviction remains unaffected by New York’s top court’s decision.
Weinstein’s initial conviction cast a harsh light on his career as a powerful Hollywood producer. His company, Miramax, which produced films like Shakespeare in Love and Pulp Fiction, filed for bankruptcy in March 2018 as the sexual assault allegations destroyed his reputation. During his 2020 sentencing, Weinstein expressed concern about “thousands of men losing due process” in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
