Weinstein Retrial Delayed; New Allegation Investigated

Lawyers seek more time after new charges emerge
By Newser.AI Read our AI policy
Posted Oct 24, 2024 3:15 AM CDT
Weinstein Retrial Delayed; New Allegation Investigated
Arthur Aidala, attorney for Harvey Weinstein, arrives at Manhattan criminal court, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in New York.   (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Harvey Weinstein's retrial on sex crime charges is delayed until at least next year, as new allegations surface that are now part of the case. The disgraced movie mogul appeared Wednesday for a pretrial hearing, where Judge Curtis Farber approved consolidating his cases and announced a rescheduling of the trial date to be decided by January 29, 2025. Originally set for November 12, the trial was postponed at the request of Weinstein's legal team after a fresh charge emerged in September.

Weinstein's attorney, Arthur Aidala, emphasized the need for additional time, stating, "We're going to need some time to investigate the case, hire a private investigator and dig more into discovery." This request aligns with prosecutors, who are ready to start in January yet do not oppose the defense's preferred timeline. The new charge, which involves coerced oral sex in a Manhattan hotel in 2006, has been added to his previous charges, on which his conviction was overturned earlier this year.

Prosecutors argued that combining the cases aids in efficiency due to overlapping elements such as witnesses and evidence. Meanwhile, Weinstein's defense contends that adding the new charge risks turning the retrial into a different proceeding entirely. Weinstein, who co-founded the influential production companies Miramax and the Weinstein Company, remains incarcerated at Rikers Island, where he faces health issues. He was also convicted of rape in Los Angeles in 2022. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)

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