Sept. 18, 2024
The indictment is expected to be unsealed on September 18 when formal charges are read out, although it is not certain that the disgraced former Hollywood mogul will attend in person.
US - Disgraced former movie mogul
Harvey Weinstein has been indicted on additional sex crimes charges in New
York, ahead of his retrial in the landmark #MeToo case. Manhattan prosecutors
announced the new charges during a court hearing on September 12, 20241. The
indictment, which remains under seal, includes allegations of sexual assaults
dating back to the mid-2000s.
Weinstein, 72, is currently recovering from emergency
heart surgery and did not appear in court. His lawyer, Arthur Aidala, expressed
uncertainty about the specifics of the new charges, stating, "We don’t
know what the exact accusations are, the exact locations are, what the timing
is". The retrial, initially set for November 12, 2024, may be delayed as
Weinstein’s defense team prepares to challenge the new charges.
The new indictment comes after New York’s highest
court overturned Weinstein’s 2020 conviction on rape and sexual assault
charges, citing judicial errors. Weinstein has consistently denied all
allegations, claiming the encounters were consensual.
The additional charges are expected to be combined
with the original ones for a single trial, a move opposed by Weinstein’s
defense2. This development marks another chapter in the ongoing legal battles
of one of Hollywood’s most notorious figures, whose downfall ignited the global
#MeToo movement.