OAN’s James Meyers
3:14 PM – Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein is now anticipating a new criminal trial in New York. It is set to be scheduled after Labor Day.
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On Wednesday, a judge remanded Weinstein to prison during his first court hearing. This follows Weinstein’s rape conviction reversal.
The film mogul appeared in person in a wheelchair at the court hearing, days after being hospitalized. Weinstein had been “examined” upon his arrival at Rikers Island Jail on Friday and then was later sent to Bellevue Hospital.
“It seems like he needs a lot of help, physically,” his lawyer, Arthur Aidala, said at the time. “He’s got a lot of problems. He’s getting all kinds of tests. He’s somewhat of a train wreck health wise.”
During the hearing, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D-N.Y.) insisted that Weinstein be remanded for now and emphasized the office’s plans to retry the film producer on the sexual assault charges as quickly as possible.
“We have every belief the defendant will be convicted again at trial,” Bragg said.
Weinstein’s defense argued against his remand, citing the disgraced producer’s “medical issues.” Aidala pointed out that Weinstein was already acquitted on his most serious charges, and has already been serving jail time.
Meanwhile, a discovery hearing has been scheduled for May 29th.
Last week, the New York State Court of Appeals overturned Weinstein’s conviction on Thursday, stating that the judge in the New York County trial was “prejudiced” against Weinstein and supported “improper rulings,” which included allowing women to testify about allegations that were not part of the case.
Additionally, Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison after being convicted in February 2020 for forcing TV and film production assistant Mimi Haley to give him oral sex in 2006, as well as a third-degree rape of hairstylist Jessica Mann in 2013.
He was acquitted of first-degree rape and two counts of predatory sexual assault of actor Annabella Sciorra in the 1990s.
Meanwhile, Weinstein continues to deny all allegations of rape.
The disgraced Hollywood tycoon was convicted by a Los Angeles jury in 2022 on three counts, including forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, and penetration by a foreign object against “Jane Doe No. 1,” who has since come forward as former Russian model Evgeniya Chernyshova.
The 16-year prison sentence still stands but could be significantly impacted if New York prosecutors fail to secure a conviction in a retrial, or if Weinstein succeeds on appeal in The Golden State.
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