NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 11: Movie producer Harvey Weinstein departs from criminal court after a bail hearing on December 11, 2019 in New York City. Weinstein was in court for a ruling on whether he will remain free on bail or if his bail will be raised to $5 million before his trial starts January 6.
Manhattan prosecutors revealed in court Wednesday that they are evaluating new sexual misconduct claims against Harvey Weinstein as they prepare for his upcoming retrial on rape and sexual assault charges.
Assistant District Attorney Nicole Blumberg told the judge that additional people have recently come forward with assault allegations against the disgraced movie mogul. Prosecutors are assessing which claims may fall within the statute of limitations.
“Some potential survivors that were not ready to step forward during Weinstein’s first New York trial may now be willing to testify,” Blumberg stated. When asked if a new indictment was possible, she responded, “Yes, your honor.”
Blumberg said the prosecution would update the court on the case’s direction by late June. The next hearing was scheduled for July 9, with Weinstein’s retrial tentatively set for after Labor Day.
Weinstein’s lawyer, Arthur Aidala, remained confident outside the courthouse that no new accusers would substantively bolster the prosecution’s case against his 72-year-old client. “He knows he’s never done anything like this,” Aidala stated.
The hearing also addressed a prosecution request for the court to caution Weinstein’s team about publicly disparaging potential witnesses before the retrial. Aidala apologized for remarks perceived as attempting to intimidate one accuser, Miriam Haley, but maintained his client deserves a “vigorous defense.”
Haley’s lawyer, Gloria Allred, criticized Aidala’s “vicious and false” courtroom comments about her client. However, Haley has expressed reluctance to testify again and has not decided whether to participate in the retrial.
Weinstein appeared in the same Manhattan courtroom where former President Donald Trump is currently on trial, entering in a wheelchair due to reported medical issues during his incarceration.
His 2020 conviction for sexually assaulting Haley and raping Jessica Mann was overturned last month, reopening a pivotal chapter of the #MeToo reckoning with sexual misconduct by influential figures that began with allegations against Weinstein in 2017.
In 2021, a judge approved a $17 million settlement for victims of Weinstein.
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