NEW YORK — In a desperate plea, Harvey Weinstein urged a judge on Wednesday to expedite his retrial related to #MeToo allegations, expressing concern over his deteriorating health conditions, which include cancer and heart problems, as well as the difficult conditions at the Rikers Island jail in New York City.
Weinstein’s appeal came during a state court hearing in Manhattan, where Judge Curtis Farber indicated that the retrial is scheduled to begin on April 15. Weinstein requested that his trial be moved up by swapping dates with another trial that the judge has slated for March.
“I don’t know how much longer I can hold on,” the 72-year-old Weinstein stated, as he emphasized the strain of his current situation, noting that his health has declined significantly during his stay at Rikers. “Everyday I’m at Rikers Island, it’s a mystery to me how I’m still walking,” he added, conveying his desire for the legal process to conclude swiftly.
Currently, Weinstein is coping with several serious health issues, including chronic myeloid leukemia, diabetes, and cardiovascular complications. During the hearing, he highlighted an incident where jail staff provided him with incorrect medication and delayed transporting him to court.
Arriving in a wheelchair, more than thirty minutes late to the scheduled hearing, Weinstein expressed his frustration and desperation. “I’m in a serious emergency situation. I am begging the court to move your date,” he said, underscoring his wish to escape his current living situation as quickly as possible.
The judge’s decision to set the retrial date came after discussions with both the prosecution and Weinstein’s legal team. However, Judge Farber indicated he would explore the possibility of beginning the trial a few days earlier if feasible. As Weinstein pleaded his case further, he expressed concern over his breathing difficulties and anticipated needing hospitalization soon.
The retrial will involve charges that Weinstein sexually assaulted a production assistant in 2006 and raped an aspiring actress in 2013. Additionally, there is a new charge involving allegations from a separate woman regarding forced oral sex at a Manhattan hotel in 2006, which was filed last September.
Prosecutors noted that the unnamed woman brought her claims to light just before the start of Weinstein’s initial trial, although they did not pursue those allegations until recently after his previous conviction was overturned. This led to a new indictment following a ruling from the state’s Court of Appeals.
Weinstein’s legal team contends that the prosecution acted unfairly by waiting several years to introduce this additional allegation, suggesting it was a strategy to bolster their case after the earlier conviction was nullified. In response, prosecutors described that reasoning as “absurd,” arguing that Weinstein’s defense would have been equally outraged had he been charged with the new allegation during the original trial.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office further explained that the investigation regarding the new allegation required careful consideration due to the absence of eyewitness accounts or physical evidence to support the claim.
Once a towering figure in Hollywood, co-founding Miramax and The Weinstein Company, Weinstein is now widely recognized as a central figure in the #MeToo movement, which revealed numerous accounts of abuse by powerful men in entertainment. Despite the allegations against him, Weinstein has consistently asserted that any sexual encounters were consensual.
In a significant ruling, the Court of Appeals invalidated Weinstein’s previous conviction, stating that the trial judge improperly allowed testimony related to other women’s allegations that were not directly part of the case. Although Weinstein remains convicted in a separate Los Angeles case from 2022 where he received a 16-year sentence, he is actively appealing that ruling as well.
While he awaits his retrial, Weinstein continues to be held at the Rikers Island facility, where he occasionally requires medical treatment.
