Harvey Weinstein takes his head in both hands when a judge authorized, on June 15, 2021, his transfer from New York State to California for trial. – Justice / Sipa
He will have to face California justice. Former film producer Harvey Weinstein, who is serving a 23-year prison sentence for sexual assault in New York City, will soon be transferred to Los Angeles, paving the way for a new trial for further assaults, an New York judge.
While Harvey Weinstein’s lawyers had been arguing against this transfer for several weeks, notably for medical reasons, Judge Kenneth Case, from Erie County – where Weinstein is currently being held – rejected their arguments and gave the green light to his transfer. , during a hearing broadcast by video link.
He faces up to 140 years in prison
No date has been set, with the judge calling for him to be transferred “as quickly as possible”. But Los Angeles prosecutors, who are scheduled to pick up Mr. Weinstein from his New York prison, expect the trip to take place “between late June and mid-July,” a spokesperson for the Erie County prosecutor said. . At the end of the hearing, Harvey Weinstein plunged his head in his hands.
The 69-year-old ex-all-powerful Hollywood producer is accused in Los Angeles of rape and sexual assault of five women, which puts him at risk of up to 140 years in prison. He has always denied the facts, in New York and Los Angeles, claiming his accusers consented.
In early April, he formally appealed his conviction for rape and sexual assault in New York, which was imposed on him in early 2020 after a resounding trial in Manhattan, seen as a great victory for the #MeToo movement. In total, nearly 90 women have accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment or assault.