Prosecutors in Harvey Weinstein case pursue retrial after rape conviction is overturned | Entertainment & Arts Headlines
US prosecutors are planning to retry Harvey Weinstein after his 2020 conviction for rape was overturned in New York.
The disgraced movie mogul made an appearance in a Manhattan court for the first time since his 2020 rape conviction was overturned by an appeals court last week.
A retrial could take place as early as September.
“We believe in this case and will be retrying this case,” stated prosecutor Nicole Blumberg.
In April, the state’s highest court ruled that Weinstein did not receive a fair trial, citing “egregious” improper rulings by the judge, including allowing women to testify about allegations that were not part of the case.
Shortly after the landmark #MeToo ruling was overturned, he was taken to hospital. His lawyer Arthur Aidala described him as “somewhat of a train wreck health-wise,” but mentally still “sharp as a tack.”
Weinstein, 72, has been dealing with cardiac issues, diabetes, sleep apnea, and eye problems for some time.
Seated in a wheelchair at the preliminary hearing on Wednesday, Weinstein had been serving a 23-year sentence in New York after being accused of sexually assaulting ex-production assistant Mimi Haley in 2006 and raping former aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013.
He remains in jail as he was also convicted in Los Angeles in 2022 of another rape and sentenced to 16 years in prison. He is currently appealing against this conviction as well.
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Once considered the most powerful man in Hollywood, the first allegations against Weinstein emerged in 2017. Dozens of women then came forward claiming he bullied, pressured, coerced, or overpowered them while demanding sexual favors.
Gwyneth Paltrow, Salma Hayek, and Lupita Nyong’o all accused him of sexual harassment, while actresses Asia Argento and Rose McGowan were among others who accused him of rape.
