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Could Harvey Weinstein Face Fresh Sexual Assault Indictments? Prosecutors Reportedly Actively Pursuing Additional Claims
As Harvey Weinstein’s legal team pushes for a speedy trial, prosecutors explore new evidence and witnesses that could lead to additional charges and affect the trial's outcome.
Trigger Warning: The article contains references to rape and sexual assault
Harvey Weinstein, 72, marked his attendance in Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday, July 9, where prosecutors reinforced that the disgraced entertainment mogul could still possibly face new accusations and therefore be indicted during his upcoming trial, People reports.
Clad in a navy blue suit and sitting in a wheelchair beside his attorney in the courtroom, the co-founder of The Weinstein Company and Miramax, per the aforementioned publication, did not speak a word of his own when Assistant District Attorney Nicole Blumberg noted that the state is still actively pursuing additional claims of sexual assault against him.
She, however, also informed that the prosecution is not ready to send an indictment to the grand jury yet.
Is Harvey Weinstein at risk of new sexual assault indictments? Details below!
Blumberg said in court that prosecutors are investigating new claims of rape that reportedly occurred in Manhattan within the statute of limitations. “The people are still investigating in a trauma-informed manner,” she said in the courtroom on July 9, per The Guardian.
Weinstein’s lawyer, Arthur Aidala, in response, suggested the investigation quoted by the ADA was nothing but a delay tactic and it resembled a similar course of action employed by the prosecutors ahead of the first rape trial against his client. “They’re trying to find someone else to come forward because I guess they feel that their current case is not strong enough,” he remarked.
Blumberg firmly rejected the notion while noting the prosecution's plan to proceed with the trial in the fall. When asked by Judge Curtis Farber for an anticipated timeline, she proposed November as a reasonable expectation for the trial’s commencement.
Aidala, on behalf of Weinstein, recorded that he’s in the fifth year of incarceration and simply wants to get the trial going as soon as possible. The defender also dutifully listed the medical issues his client has reportedly been dealing with given his old age. The 72-year-old suffers from lung and heart issues as well as diabetes and is allegedly not receiving treatment for any of it.
Who else was present at the Manhattan Court for Weinstein’s latest hearing?
Among notable people in the packed courtroom yesterday was Jessica Mann, the former actor Weinstein was convicted of raping in his 2020 trial. Mann did not make any comments inside the house nor did she speak to reporters, but prosecutors have said she is prepared to testify against Weinstein again if need be. Weinstein’s other accuser, Mimi Haley, skipped the date.
In April this year, New York’s highest court overturned Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction after determining that the judge on the case unfairly allowed testimony against him from women not directly involved in the case. Despite this, he is still serving a 16-year prison sentence at Rikers Island for a 2022 rape conviction.
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