NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecutors are asking a Manhattan judge to combine two sex crimes cases facing Harvey Weinstein in New York this year into one trial, but the disgraceful Lawyers for movie mogul Weinstein oppose the move.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office said in a court filing released Friday that the cases involve similar criminal statutes, witnesses, expert testimony, and documentary evidence, resulting in significant overlap. He claimed that there was.
They argue that separate trials are “highly inefficient and burdensome” and waste judicial resources.
“There is strong public interest in consolidating these indictments for trial because separate trials would require duplicative, lengthy and costly proceedings,” the agency said in a filing. This is because it would unnecessarily consume the resources of the judiciary and the party.”
Mr. Weinstein is awaiting retrial for two sex crimes stemming from his own sexual assault. #MeToo landmarks After the state supreme court 2020 conviction overturned At the beginning of this year.
He also pleaded not guilty last month. new sex crime charges In the case, prosecutors allege that he forced a woman to perform oral sex on him at a Manhattan hotel in the spring of 2006.
Weinstein's lawyers argued in a court filing earlier this month that the two cases should be separate.
They said prosecutors are seeking to “expand the scope” of a court-ordered retrial to include new charges, turning it into an “entirely new proceeding.”
“Despite once depriving the defendant of a fair trial, the public is unapologetically and, in fact, shamelessly adding to this case for the unjustified purpose of increasing the credibility of the accuser in a 2024 indictment.” “He is trying to do it again by smuggling charges against him,” Weinstein's lawyer said. I wrote.
The judge is scheduled to consider arguments at a hearing later this month.
Weinstein, who has been in custody since his conviction, also was convicted of a crime of rape in Los Angeles his lawyer in 2022 appealed.
The 72-year-old co-founded the Weinstein Company with film and television production companies Miramax and produced films such as “Shakespeare in Love'' and “The Crying Game.''
In a filing, Manhattan prosecutors laid out some plans for the upcoming retrial, which was scheduled to begin Nov. 12.
They said they intend to call 12 to 15 witnesses to testify on issues related to both the old and new charges, including victims and corroborating witnesses.
Prosecutors also called in experts familiar with Mr. Weinstein's “position and influence in the entertainment industry” and investigated the once-powerful producer's relationships with his victims, many of whom worked in the industry. The aim is to “resolve the power imbalance” between the parties.
They also expect testimony from a photographer to corroborate the victim's testimony about Weinstein's physical “characteristics,” which was also the focus of Weinstein's previous trial.
Meanwhile, Weinstein's lawyers complained that prosecutors had been aware of the charges in the latest criminal indictment but had “kept this case in their pockets for years.”
They said Mr. Bragg's office had been in contact with Mr. Weinstein's latest accusers dating back to Mr. Weinstein's first trial, and that Mr. Bragg had changed his story over the years about his interactions with Mr. Weinstein. .
Lindsey Goldblum, an attorney representing the women, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Friday.
He previously said the woman had not made her accusations public and did not wish to be identified at this time.
