During Harvey Weinstein’s first court hearing since his sex crimes conviction overturnedNew York prosecutors told a judge Wednesday that they want to retry him as soon as September.
“We believe a trial should take place in early fall, perhaps as early as September,” Assistant District Attorney Nicole Blumberg told a judge in Manhattan Criminal Court.
“It was a strong case, and he was convicted and sentenced to 23 years in prison,” Blumberg said. “It remains a strong case.”
Weinstein’s conviction in New York in 2020 was hailed as a pivotal moment for the MeToo matters, which exploded into the public consciousness in 2017 when several women came forward with sexual abuse allegations against Weinstein. Last week, the New York State Court of Appeals overturned that conviction, ruling that the disgraced film producer did not receive a fair trial because the judge allowed prosecutors to present the testimony from accusers whose allegations were not part of the criminal indictment.
Weinstein still struggles with a 16-year sentence in Californiawhere he was convicted of sex crimes in 2022.
Shortly after the New York court’s decision, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office announced plans to retry Weinstein. Wednesday’s hearing was the first time a possible timeline was discussed.
Actress Jessica Mann, one of the key witnesses against Weinstein, joined prosecutors at the hearing. Blumberg said Mann was there”to show that she is not backing down” Mann, who told a jury in 2020 about how Weinstein raped her in heartbreaking details, said she is “ready” to undergo a new trial, even if her first testimony caused her “a lot of pain”.
Judge Curtis Farber sent Weinstein back to Bellevue Hospital, where he has been treated since the day after his conviction was overturned. Weinstein spokesman Juda Engelmayer said last week that the 72-year-old suffered from heart and hearing problems.
His next court hearing is scheduled for May 29.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
