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The 69-year-old Weinstein wore a collarless
rust-colored shirt as he appeared from the Wende Correctional
Facility near Buffalo by video before Erie County Court Judge
Kenneth Case.
Weinstein has been appealing his February 2020 conviction in
Manhattan and 23-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting
former production assistant Mimi Haleyi and raping former
aspiring actress Jessica Mann.
California's criminal case against Weinstein covers alleged
attacks on five women from 2004 to 2013 in the Los Angeles area,
and announced last year.
It includes four counts of forcible rape, four counts of
forcible oral copulation, two counts of sexual battery by
restraint, and one count of sexual penetration by use of force.
Weinstein has denied having nonconsensual sex with anyone.
Norman Effman, a public defender representing Weinstein, asked
that his client be arraigned on the indictment virtually in New
York rather than extradited so he could get necessary medical
treatment, including scheduled eye and dental surgery.
Effman said Weinstein, a diabetic, is "almost technically blind
at this point," and also suffers from cardiac and back problems.
"We're not trying to avoid what is going to happen in
California," Effman said. "We believe there is not only a
defense to these charges, but a very good defense to these
charges," which would result in an acquittal.
The Los Angeles County district attorney's office did not
immediately respond to a request for comment.
Weinstein's indictment was reported earlier by the Los Angeles
Times.
Another hearing is scheduled for April 30.
The conviction of Weinstein was seen as a watershed moment in
the #MeToo movement against sexual abuse and harassment by men,
including many like Weinstein who once held powerful jobs and
influence.
If convicted in California, Weinstein could spend the rest of
his life in prison even if his New York conviction were
overturned.
"These are stale, unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, uncredible
allegations that arose during the hysteria of the #MeToo
movement," Weinstein's criminal defense lawyer Mark Werksman
said in a statement. "We're confident that Mr. Weinstein will be
acquitted because there's no credible evidence against him. He's
innocent."
Los Angeles' district attorney first sought Weinstein's
extradition last July, but it has been delayed by the
coronavirus pandemic.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by
Marguerita Choy and Grant McCool)
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