Harvey Weinstein Faces New Charges as NY Retrial Approaches

Harvey Weinstein, the former movie mogul, faces new criminal charges in New York. The development comes as the Manhattan District Attorney's office prepares to retry Weinstein following the reversal of his 2020 rape conviction. Weinstein's initial conviction marked a milestone in the #MeToo movement.

Harvey Weinstein has been hit with new criminal charges in New York, a prosecutor said in court on Thursday. The Manhattan district attorney's office is preparing to retry the former movie mogul after the reversal of his 2020 rape conviction.

Jurors had found the 72-year-old Weinstein guilty on rape charges, but the New York Court of Appeals overturned the conviction in April. The court found that the trial was unfair due to improper testimony by accusers he was not formally charged with assaulting. The district attorney's office revealed they are investigating additional violent sexual assaults allegedly committed by Weinstein after more women agreed to testify against him. Weinstein has consistently denied any non-consensual sexual encounters.

Prosecutor Nicole Blumberg did not specify the new charges during a hearing before Judge Curtis Farber, who tentatively set a trial date for Nov. 12 while being open to an earlier start. Weinstein's defense argued that it is unfair to add new victims to the case after the conviction's reversal. Weinstein, whose health has deteriorated and remains in custody due to a separate rape conviction in California, became a focal point for the #MeToo movement, which saw more than 80 women accuse him of sexual misconduct.

(With inputs from agencies.)