|
Among other things, Judge Curtis Farber is expected to address a
request from prosecutors to consolidate that case with a newer
charge into a single trial.
The former movie mogul was already facing retrial on two sex
crime charges after the state’s highest court overturned his
2020 conviction earlier this year. Then in September, he was hit
with a new charge accusing him of another assault. He has
pleaded not guilty.
Weinstein was convicted on charges — since overturned — that he
forcibly performed oral sex on a TV and film production
assistant in 2006, and rape in the third degree for an attack on
an aspiring actor in 2013. In the new charge, prosecutors say he
forced oral sex on a different woman in a Manhattan hotel in the
spring of 2006.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office has argued in
court filings that holding separate trials would be
“extraordinarily inefficient” and waste judicial resources.
Prosecutors said the cases have significant overlap as they
involve similar criminal statutes, witnesses, expert testimony
and documentary evidence.
Weinstein’s lawyers have argued in court filings that the cases
should remain separate. They said prosecutors are attempting to
“expand the scope” of the court-ordered retrial and transform it
into “an entirely new proceeding” by including the new charges.
There’s also the question of when Weinstein’s retrial is
expected to actually begin.
Faber had tentatively scheduled Weinstein’s trial to open on
Nov. 12, but both defense lawyers and prosecutors have voiced
concerns that the date won’t give their side enough time to
prepare.
Weinstein has been in custody at the city’s Rikers Island jail
complex and has faced numerous health complications while behind
bars.
He was also convicted of rape in Los Angeles in 2022, though his
lawyers have appealed.
The sexual assault and harassment allegations against Weinstein
turbocharged the #MeToo movement in 2017.
The 72-year-old former producer co-founded the film and
television production companies Miramax and The Weinstein
Company. He produced such films as “Shakespeare in Love” and
“The Crying Game.”
All contents © copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved
|
|
