Updated: Aug 23, 2019
Former Hollywood producer and co-founder of Miramax, Harvey Weinstein, is scheduled to be arraigned on an indictment in connection with his upcoming trial.
In 2017, dozens of women accused Harvey Weinstein of rape, sexual assault, and sexual abuse. The different accusations span a time period of at least 30 years. After these accusations became public, over eighty women in the film industry came forward with similar accusations.
As of yet, the reasons for the new indictment have not been made public. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance’s spokesman, declined to comment on what the indictment is for.
Weintstein’s attorney, Damon Cheronis said that Weinstein would be in court on Monday where, “He’ll enter a plea of not guilty because he is not guilty.”
The district attorney’s office accusations are that Weinstein sexually assaulted two women, in 2006 and 2013. In early August, prosecutors sought to bring a new indictment that would allow jurors to hear testimony from a third, former Sopranos actress Annabella Sciorra. Sciorra claims that Weinstein raped her in 1993.
Weinstein, 67, was considered to be one of the most powerful producers in Hollywood, and was already facing five criminal charges, including rape and predatory assault, when this new indictment was made. Weinstein could face a life sentence if he is convicted.
The two women in the earlier indictment are amongst many women who have accused Weinstein of inappropriate sexual conduct and abuse dating back for many decades. Weinstein claims that any sexual encounters he had with anyone, were consensual. Thus far, he has pleaded “not guilty “ to the accusations.
Weinstein’s lawyers have asked for his trial to be moved to someplace outside of New York City because they feel it would be impossible for him to have a fair trial with heightened level of media scrutiny that being in the city would cause.