NEW YORK — Harvey Weinstein is expected to appear before a judge Wednesday afternoon in the same New York City courthouse where former President Donald Trump is on trial.
Weinstein is awaiting a retrial on rape charges after his 2020 conviction was tossed out. Wednesday’s court hearing will address various legal issues related to the upcoming trial, which is tentatively scheduled for some time after Labor Day.
Weinstein’s original trial was held in the same courtroom where Trump is on trial now, but the two men are unlikely to bump into each other. Weinstein is in custody and will be brought to and from the courtroom under guard. He will be appearing in a courtroom on a different floor than where Trump is currently on trial.
Weinstein was convicted of rape in the third degree for an attack on Jessica Mann, an aspiring actor, and of sexually assaulting Miriam Haley, a former TV and film production assistant.
But last month New York’s highest court threw out those convictions after determining that the trial judge unfairly allowed testimony against him based on allegations from other women that weren’t part of the case. Weinstein, 72, has maintained that any sexual activity was consensual.
The New York ruling reopened a painful chapter in America’s reckoning with sexual misconduct by powerful figures. The #MeToo era began in 2017 with a flood of allegations against Weinstein.
Last week, prosecutors asked Judge Curtis Farber to remind Weinstein’s lawyers not to discuss or disparage potential witnesses in public ahead of the retrial.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office argued that Weinstein’s lead attorney, Arthur Aidala, made statements meant to intimidate Haley earlier this month.
Speaking outside of court on May 1, Aidala said Haley lied to the jury about her motive in coming forward and that his team planned an aggressive cross-examination on the issue “if she dares to come and show her face here.”
Aidala didn’t respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday about Bragg’s request.
Haley has said she does not want to go through the trauma of testifying again, “but for the sake of keeping going and doing the right thing and because it is what happened, I would consider it.”
Her attorney, Gloria Allred, declined to comment until after she attends Wednesday’s proceedings.
The Associated Press does not generally identify people alleging sexual assault unless they consent to be named, as both Haley and Mann have.
Weinstein, who had been serving a 23-year sentence in New York, was also convicted in Los Angeles in 2022 of another rape and is still sentenced to 16 years in prison in California.
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Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo.
Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced former Hollywood producer, is set to appear before a judge in a courthouse where former President Donald Trump is on trial. The high-profile case has garnered significant media attention and speculation about the potential implications for both men.
Weinstein, who was convicted of rape and sexual assault in 2020, is facing additional charges in a separate case. The upcoming court appearance is related to these new charges and will mark another chapter in the ongoing legal saga surrounding his alleged misconduct.
The courthouse where Weinstein is scheduled to appear is also the same location where Trump is currently facing legal challenges. The former president is under investigation for a variety of potential crimes, including tax fraud and campaign finance violations. The convergence of these two high-profile cases in the same courthouse has added an extra layer of intrigue to an already sensational legal drama.
The presence of both Weinstein and Trump in the same courthouse has sparked speculation about potential interactions between the two men. Some have suggested that their shared history of alleged misconduct and abuse could create a tense atmosphere in the courtroom. Others have speculated about the potential impact of their cases on each other, with some wondering if Weinstein’s appearance could overshadow Trump’s trial or vice versa.
Regardless of the outcome of their respective cases, the presence of both Weinstein and Trump in the same courthouse serves as a stark reminder of the power dynamics and abuses that have long plagued industries like Hollywood and politics. It also underscores the importance of holding powerful individuals accountable for their actions, no matter how influential or well-connected they may be.
As Weinstein prepares to appear before a judge in the same courthouse where Trump is on trial, the eyes of the world will be watching. The outcome of these cases could have far-reaching implications for both men and serve as a watershed moment in the ongoing fight against abuse and corruption in positions of power.
