Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein is set to return to court as a judge prepares to determine the start date for his retrial, following the overturning of his 2020 conviction.
Weinstein, 72, is contesting an additional allegation involving a woman not included in the original case, arguing that prosecutors aim to strengthen their case against him. His legal team has requested that this extra charge be dismissed.
The New York Court of Appeals recently overturned Weinstein's previous conviction on charges of rape and sexual assault related to two women. Judge Curtis Farber is expected to rule on the additional allegation and the timeline for the retrial.
Weinstein's attorney, Arthur Aidala, has emphasized the urgency of the trial, citing the former studio boss's declining health, including a diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukemia and recent emergency heart surgery.
Weinstein faces charges of forcibly performing oral sex on a production assistant in 2006 and raping an aspiring actor in 2013. The newly added charge alleges he forced oral sex on another woman in a Manhattan hotel in 2006.
Prosecutors stated that the woman came forward shortly before Weinstein's first trial but was not included in that case. Following the appellate court's decision to overturn his conviction, they revisited her allegations and secured a new indictment.
Judge Farber's ruling in October combined the new indictment with existing charges for a single trial, though Weinstein's lawyers argue that the delay in bringing the new charge has prejudiced their client.
The #MeToo movement gained momentum in 2017, with Weinstein at its center as numerous women shared their experiences of his misconduct. In 2020, he was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual assault and third-degree rape based on testimonies from two women.
Despite the potential for acquittal in the retrial, Weinstein remains incarcerated due to a separate 16-year sentence stemming from a 2022 conviction in Los Angeles for sexual assault.