Harvey Weinstein pleads not guilty to new charges

Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein pleaded not guilty on Monday to a new indictment that included revised charges of predatory sexual assault.

Weinstein, 67, entered his plea in a New York state court in Manhattan, where his trial was delayed by four months, to Jan. 6, 2020. He had faced a Sept. 9 trial date.

The changes, which reflect new evidence presented to a grand jury this month, may enable the prosecution to add testimony from actor Annabella Sciorra, who has claimed she was assaulted by Weinstein in 1993.

Donna Rotunno, one of Weinstein’s lawyers, said after the hearing that Weinstein would seek to dismiss the new indictment, calling the case “weak.”

As he left the court, Weinstein, who was admonished by judge James Burke for pulling out a cellphone during the proceeding, described the latest development as a “home run”.

Weinstein has already been charged with two counts of predatory sexual assault, one count of criminal sexual act in the first degree, one count of first-degree rape and one count of third-degree rape.

Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to all charges, maintaining that encounters with his accusers were consensual. If found guilty, the 67-year-old could spend the rest of his life in jail.

Last week, lawyers for Weinstein described the arraignment as “unprecedented”.

“There has been no case in recent memory where a district attorney has gone back to the grand jury on two separate occasions to re-present a case before that body in the hopes of obtaining an indictment that can withstand the scrutiny of a trial jury,” Rotunno and fellow attorney Arthur Aidala said in a statement.

The lawyers claimed the “action by the prosecutor bespeaks the desperation that has engulfed their case” and indicated “more of a focus on obtaining a conviction at all costs than on seeking justice”.

More than 80 women have alleged sexual misconduct on the part of the producer, over four decades.