Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced film mogul, appeared in court in New York on Wednesday for the first time since his rape and sexual assault convictions there were reversed.
Weinstein, who could face a retrial over the claims, appeared fragile as he was wheeled into a Manhattan courthouse escorted by his lawyers.
He grinned and waved to supporters as he was wheeled in a wheelchair past the public gallery.
“We believe in this case… to that end (accuser) Jessica Mann is in court today,” said a prosecutor. “She is committed to seeing justice served once again.
“We have every belief that the defendant will be convicted again at trial.”
Judge Curtis Farber was expected to overturn Weinstein’s state convictions but not release the 72-year-old due to a second, unmodified conviction in California.
Weinstein was found guilty in New York in 2020 of raping and sexually assaulting ex-actress Mann in 2013 and forcibly performing oral sex on former production assistant Mimi Haley in 2006.
He was sentenced to 23 years in prison.
Last week, New York’s highest court found that the trial judge erred in accepting testimony from women who were allegedly harmed by Weinstein but were not identified in the allegations against him.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office has suggested that it will seek a retrial.
“We will do everything in our power to retry this case, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to survivors of sexual assault,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.
Arthur Aidala, the leader of Weinstein’s legal team, told reporters last week that even “unpopular” people deserve justice, and that “we knew Harvey Weinstein did not get a fair trial.”
Weinstein remains in bars after being convicted of rape in California and sentenced to 16 years in prison.
The once-untouchable Hollywood heavyweight has struggled with a variety of health conditions while in prison and has spent time in a secure hospital unit.
#MeToo
In 2017, bombshell charges against the Oscar-winning producer surfaced, sparking the #MeToo movement, which saw more women fight back against workplace sexual harassment and discrimination.
The decision to overturn the New York convictions was based on the fact that the court allowed prosecutors to rely on so-called “Molineux witnesses,” who were permitted to testify despite not being charged – an exception to the standard rules of evidence.
Lawyers said Weinstein’s Los Angeles conviction was unlikely to be influenced by the New York reversal, and he will now be transported to a California prison.
Weinstein’s legal team has stated that it expects to fight the California conviction.
After his conviction in New York, a civil tribunal granted $17 million to scores of additional women who accused the former movie mogul of abuse.
In 1979, Weinstein and his brother Bob cofounded Miramax Films, a distribution firm named after their mother Miriam and father Max. It was sold to Disney in 1993.
Their successes included the 1998 film “Shakespeare in Love,” for which Weinstein shared the best picture Oscar. Over the years, Weinstein’s films have received over 300 Oscar nominations and 81 statuettes.