Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein is expected to be retried on sex crimes charges on November 12.
Weinstein, 72, appeared for a hearing at Manhattan Criminal Court on Friday as prosecutors prepare to retry him following the reversal of his 2020 rape conviction earlier this year.
The judge said on Friday that he was open to an earlier trial date in Septemberm depending on how long the grand jury process takes. The ex-producer’s attorneys said they want to move as soon as possible.
Last week, prosecutors accused Weinstein of raping more women than those who were part of his earlier prosecution. He was found guilty of rape charges in February 2020 but his conviction was overturned in April. More alleged victims came forward after the conviction was overturned.
Prosecutors told the judge, Curtis Farber, that they’re still reviewing those claims, and plan to present the story of at least one of the alleged victims to a grand jury, ABC News reported.
Weinstein, who was initially sentenced to 23 years in prison, has denied all claims of sexual crimes against him. His legal team has shared their doubts regarding any new alleged victims.
In April, a New York Court of Appeals ruled that the previous trial judge had “erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes.”
The court added that the testimony “served no material non-propensity purpose” and that it showed Weinstein “in a highly prejudicial light.”
The appeals court found that Weinstein didn’t get a fair trial because the judge allowed testimony from witnesses that Weinstein hadn’t been formally charged with assaulting.
The office of the Manhattan District Attorney said earlier this year that it would put Weinstein on trial again if alleged victims were willing to share their stories.
Assistant District Attorney Nicole Blumberg said last week: “We believe the defendant forcibly raped and sexually abused women in Manhattan that fall within the statute of limitations.”
She added: “There were women in 2020 who were not ready to proceed with the legal process. They are now ready.”
The new accusers have not been named and prosecutors are looking to protect some evidence from public view as they work to get a new grand jury indictment, Reuters reported.
On Friday, Judge Farber said he would appoint a special magistrate to oversee any disagreements in the discovery process as the parties look through fresh evidence ahead of the new trial.
The allegations against Harvey Weinstein launched the #MeToo movement in 2017, which saw women across society come forward with their experiences of sexual harassment and assault.
