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Once among Hollywood's most powerful producers,
Weinstein 67, is scheduled to stand trial in Manhattan in
January. He is accused of assaulting two women in 2006 and 2013.
To bolster their case, prosecutors will call a third woman to
testify that Weinstein raped her in 1993.
Weinstein, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges, faces a
life sentence if convicted.
Roughly 70 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct
dating back decades. Weinstein has denied the allegations and
said any sexual encounters were consensual.
The accusations helped spark the #MeToo movement, in which
hundreds of women have publicly accused powerful men in
business, politics, the news media and entertainment of sexual
harassment and abuse.
Weinstein had asked a state appeals court in Manhattan to move
the trial to Long Island or Albany.
"It is safe to say that New York City is the least likely place
on earth where Mr. Weinstein could receive a fair trial, where
jurors could hear evidence, deliberate and render a verdict in
an atmosphere free of intimidation from pressure to deliver a
result that the politicians, the activists, the celebrities and
the media demand," his lawyers wrote.
The court on Thursday denied his motion in a brief order without
explanation.
The office of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, which is
prosecuting the case, declined to comment. A lawyer for
Weinstein could not immediately be reached.
(Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Noeleen
Walder and Steve Orlofsky)
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