The disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein is facing new investigations for “additional violent sexual assaults” months after his previous conviction in New York was overturned, a court in Manhattan heard on Tuesday.
Assistant District Attorney Nicole Blumberg revealed during the hearing that the alleged assaults fall within the statute of limitations and could potentially be charged as crimes. Weinstein, 72, is already facing a retrial after his 2020 conviction for sexual assault and rape was overturned in April on the grounds of unfairness.
Blumberg stated, “As we said in 2020, there were women who were not ready to proceed with the legal process. Some of those women are now ready to proceed.” Weinstein’s lawyer, Arthur Aidala, dismissed the new investigations as a delay tactic, sarcastically remarking, “Once again we have a hotline: 1-800 Get Harvey.”
Aidala also mentioned that his client is suffering from various medical issues while being held in solitary confinement at Rikers Island jail in New York City. Weinstein’s 2020 conviction was a significant moment for the #MeToo movement, where women accused numerous men in the media industry of sexual misconduct.
The Miramax co-founder was sentenced to 23 years in prison for sexually assaulting production assistant Miriam Haley and raping actress Jessica Mann. However, the New York Court of Appeals overturned the conviction in April due to evidence of “prior bad acts” from unrelated witnesses violating Weinstein’s right to a fair trial.
The decision to retry Weinstein has been met with criticism from the #MeToo movement, with some calling it “profoundly unjust.” A retrial is scheduled to begin after the Labor Day holiday on 2 September, with prosecutors aiming for a trial in November.
Weinstein was also convicted to 16 years in a separate rape trial in California, a conviction unaffected by the New York appeal court’s decision. He has yet to begin serving the California sentence. Over 80 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct, but he continues to deny all charges against him.
