Former movie producer Harvey Weinstein could be indicted on new charges for "additional violent sexual assaults," a prosecutor said at a pretrial hearing on Tuesday.
Prosecutor Nicole Blumberg said her team will be seeking a new indictment for several alleged incidents of sexual assault while appearing before Judge Curtis Farber at a New York state criminal court in Manhattan.
"We spoke to several individuals who claimed Weinstein raped them in Manhattan," Blumberg said at the hearing.
Blumberg said the incidents fall within the statute of limitations for prosecution.
"As we said in 2020, there were women who were not ready to proceed with the legal process. Some of those women are now ready to proceed," Blumberg said.
The possibility of new victims coming forward was also mentioned by the prosecution at a hearing on May 29.
Prosecutors are not ready to send the indictment to the grand jury yet as they continue to investigate the claims.
Weinstein was found guilty in 2020 for the sexual assault of former production assistant Miriam Haley and the rape of aspiring actress Jessica Mann. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison, but the conviction was overturned in April of this year.
The New York Court of Appeals ruled that Judge James Burke, who presided over the trial, made a critical mistake in letting three women who were not included in the charges testify about alleged assault.
Weinstein's retrial is expected to begin in the fall. He has denied having non-consensual encounters with anyone.
Arthur Aidala, Weinstein's lawyer, argued that it was not fair for prosecutors to add charges after the conviction was overturned. He also said he was confident that no additional accusers will be found to help the prosecution's case.
"They have a defendant and are looking for crimes," Aidala said. "That's not how it's supposed to be."
Weinstein is currently in custody at Rikers Island in New York. The 72-year-old has faced several medical problems in prison, including cardiac issues and diabetes. He entered the courtroom in a wheelchair and did not speak during the hearing.
He was also convicted of rape in Los Angeles and sentenced to 16 years in prison, but his lawyers are appealing the decision. In the appeal filed last month, they argue that he did not get a fair trial.
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