Prosecutors have requested a retrial for Harvey Weinstein following the overturning of his 2020 rape conviction by an appeals court last week. During a hearing on Wednesday in Manhattan, Weinstein appeared in court for the first time since the overturning of his conviction. Prosecutors indicated their intention to proceed with the retrial, with one of Weinstein’s accusers, Jessica Mann, prepared to testify again.
Mann was present in the courtroom, with prosecutor Nicole Blumberg emphasizing her determination to pursue justice, stating, “She has the truth.” Weinstein, seated in a wheelchair, was described by his attorney as mentally sharp and eager to prove his innocence.
In the original case, Weinstein was convicted of rape in the third degree for an assault on Mann in 2013, as well as for assaulting Mimi Haley, a TV and film production assistant, in 2006. Weinstein had pleaded not guilty, asserting that any sexual activity was consensual.
Following the hearing, Gloria Allred, Haley’s lawyer, mentioned that her client had not yet decided whether she would testify at the retrial, noting the trauma of her previous testimony. Weinstein, who is also serving a sentence in California for a separate rape conviction, remains in custody in New York.
The overturning of Weinstein’s conviction by the New York Court of Appeals has stirred controversy, disappointing many who viewed his original conviction as a significant moment in the #MeToo movement.
