Prosecutors anticipate Harvey Weinstein retrial as new victims surface

Harvey Weinstein appeared before a Manhattan criminal court Tuesday as prosecutors pursue new sexual assault allegations and a likely retrial for the former producer.

“We believe the defendant forcibly raped and sexually abused women in Manhattan that fall within the statute of limitations,” Nicole Blumberg, the assistant district attorney, said. “There were women in 2020 who were not ready to proceed with the legal process. They are now ready.”

As prosecutors further investigate these accusations, they have yet to appear before a grand jury and remain unsure when the inquiry will conclude. Arthur Aidala, Weinstein’s attorney, attempted to poke holes in the prosecution’s case, brandishing the maneuver as a scramble to find illegitimate evidence.

“They have a defendant, and now they’re out there looking for a crime,” he said. “They’re out there with a hotline: 1-800-Get-Harvey.”

According to Blumberg, they could move the trial to late fall, with the exact date as of yet unknown.

“November would be a realistic time frame,” she said.

Aidala replied in a criticizing mantra, claiming that they, “just delay, delay, delay.”

Weinstein, now wheelchair bound, has been behind bars at Rikers Island for over five years. At 72, he suffers from macular degeneration, with fluid gluing up his lungs and heart.

“He’s suffering tremendously,” Aidala said, “He’s a sick man. He’s got little kids and he wants to get out.”

Weinstein was originally convicted of rape by the New York Criminal Court in 2020 and sentenced to 23 years in prison. In 2024, these convictions were overturned, stating alleged errors in procedure. In 2021, he was extradited to Los Angeles and convicted of three additional rape charges, receiving 16 years, which he is now serving.

Testimonies from these potential new victims would reopen the New York case, adding to the 80-plus women who have come forward since 2017. While Weinstein has repeatedly sworn the interactions were consensual, the waves of allegations against him simultaneously opened up the door for the #MeToo movement, a cause built to protect the rape victims of powerful male figures.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“We believe in this case and we will be retrying this case,” Blumberg said in May.

Weinstein’s next court appearance is expected on July 19.