Harvey Weinstein made his first appearance at a Manhattan courthouse after his 2020 rape conviction was overturned by an appeals court last week. He arrived in a wheelchair, accompanied by his attorney, Arthur Aidala, for a preliminary hearing that included discussion of evidence and scheduling.
Weinstein, who has been hospitalized since his return to the city jail system, attended the hearing despite his health issues. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office is determined to retry the case, but it may hinge on whether the accusers are willing to testify again. One accuser, Mimi Haley, said she was still considering testifying at any retrial.
Jessica Mann, another accuser, was in court and requested an early fall date for retrial. Aidala believes a trial could take place after Labor Day. Weinstein was also convicted in Los Angeles in 2022 and is serving a 16-year sentence in California.
In the New York case that was overturned, Weinstein was convicted of rape in the third degree and forcing himself on Haley. The Associated Press does not generally identify victims of sexual assault without their consent.
The New York Court of Appeals vacated Weinstein’s conviction, erasing his 23-year prison sentence, citing an error in allowing jurors to see and hear irrelevant evidence. The ruling was a disappointment to #MeToo advocates who had hoped for justice.
