Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Year : 2, Issue: 33
Harvey Weinstein will remain in custody in New York while awaiting retrial on rape and sexual assault charges in Manhattan, prosecutors confirmed Monday as the former movie mogul made a brief court appearance related to California’s request to extradite him there.
But after the New York case is complete, he will return to California to serve his pending 16-year sentence for a separate rape conviction there first, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement.
“Today, defendant Harvey Weinstein was formally arraigned on a governor’s warrant issued by Governor Kathy Hochul, who exercised her authority for him to remain in New York State until his case in New York County is adjudicated,” Katz said. “He will serve the California sentence first, as it is now his primary sentence.”
Weinstein, who has denied that he raped or sexually assaulted anyone, was convicted in Los Angeles in 2022 while already serving a 23-year sentence in New York.
The retrial in Manhattan is tentatively scheduled for November.
The extradition matter has been taking place in Queens, rather than Manhattan, court due to its proximity to Rikers Island.
Weinstein lawyer Arthur Aidala suggested at the time that prosecutors’ talk of new accusers raised questions about the strength of their current case.
Source: ABC7 News
