NEW YORK (AP) – Harvey Weinstein's upcoming #MeToo retrial is set to begin on April 15, 2025, in state court in Manhattan. This retrial is anticipated to be an abridged version of his previous trial, with the significant addition of a new charge based on allegations from a woman who was not part of the original case.
The courtroom proceedings are expected to become clearer on Wednesday when Judge Curtis Farber is scheduled to make rulings on various pre-trial matters, including the extent of testimony from accusers and the admissibility of expert witnesses. Weinstein, now 72 years old, is expected to appear in court for these rulings.
This retrial comes nearly a year after New York's highest court overturned Weinstein's 2020 conviction on rape and sexual assault charges. At his last court appearance in January 2025, Weinstein expressed his wish to expedite the retrial, highlighting concerns about his health, as he is suffering from cancer and heart issues, and is currently being held under harsh conditions at the Rikers Island jail complex.
Weinstein faces charges that he forcibly performed oral sex on a movie and television production assistant in 2006 and raped an aspiring actor in 2013. The newly added charge, which was filed in September 2024, alleges that he forced oral sex on a different woman at a Manhattan hotel in 2006. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office revealed that the woman came forward just days before the first trial began but was not included in that case. Prosecutors initially refrained from pursuing her allegations after Weinstein's conviction but revisited them following the Court of Appeals' decision to vacate his conviction in April 2024. As a result, a new indictment was secured, and Judge Farber ruled in October to combine this new charge with the existing ones for a single trial.
Weinstein's defense attorneys argue that the delay in bringing the additional charge prejudiced their client, suggesting that prosecutors chose not to include this allegation in the first trial, intending to use it strategically if the conviction were overturned. Weinstein maintains his innocence, denying all allegations of rape or sexual assault.
In a notable development, Weinstein has recently added Jennifer Bonjean, a lawyer known for her representations of Bill Cosby and R. Kelly, to his legal team. This team also includes defense attorneys Arthur Aidala, Diana Fabi Samson, and former judge Barry Kamins.
In the earlier ruling that vacated Weinstein’s conviction, the Court of Appeals determined that the trial judge, James M. Burke, allowed inappropriate testimony regarding allegations from women not involved in the case, which unfairly influenced the jury. Burke is no longer on the bench, and such testimony will not be permitted during the retrial.
In addition to the upcoming New York retrial, Weinstein was convicted in Los Angeles in 2022 on separate rape charges. He received a 16-year prison sentence for that conviction, which remains in effect; however, his legal team filed an appeal in June 2023, asserting that he did not receive a fair trial.
