Harvey Weinstein pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a new criminal sex act charge for which he was indicted last week, setting up a re-trial after the disgraced movie mogul’s conviction was tossed by an appeals court.
Weinstein pleaded not guilty to one count of criminal sexual act in the first degree, which carries a sentence of up to 25 years in prison. The indictment claimed Weinstein sexually assaulted a woman in a lower Manhattan hotel on one occasion between April 29, 2006, and May 6, 2006.
“Thanks to this survivor who bravely came forward, Harvey Weinstein now stands indicted for an additional alleged violent sexual assault,” District Attorney Bragg said after the indictment was issued. “This investigation is ongoing. If you have been sexually assaulted, I assure you that our team of dedicated prosecutors, investigators, social workers, and many more stand at the ready to support you.”
Weinstein appeared in court a little over a week after he was rushed to Bellevue Hospital after experiencing chest pains. According to his representative Craig Rothfeld, he underwent a procedure to alleviate a significant amount of fluid from his heart and lungs.
Arthur Aidala, Weinstein’s attorney, told the New York judge after last week’s indictment that his client “almost died” before the procedure just days earlier.
Weinstein was found guilty of rape charges back in February 2020. The New York Court of Appeals threw out that conviction in April 2024 after ruling Weinstein didn’t get a fair trial after the judge “erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts,” allowing information to be presented that prejudiced the jury because the accusations weren’t part of the charges against him.
He is also convicted in California, and that sentence has allowed New York authorities to keep him in prison while he awaits a new trial.
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