Harvey Weinstein’s bail hiked to $2M bond weeks before sex assault trial
Harvey Weinstein shuffled into Manhattan court Wednesday hunched over a walker — before a judge hiked his bail from $1 million cash to a $2 million bond.
Lawyers for the disgraced producer said he has back surgery scheduled for Thursday to treat an injury he sustained from an Aug. 17 car accident.
His lead lawyer, Donna Rutunno, told reporters the legal team had insisted on the walker — complete with cut-off tennis balls on the bottom — over Weinstein’s objections.
“We wanted him to use a walker,” she said. “Mr. Weinstein didn’t want the press thinking he was seeking sympathy. He’s in pain. He’s having surgery.”
Weinstein was in Manhattan Supreme Court to modify his bail conditions in light of the new bail reform laws that go into effect Jan. 1.
Assistant DA Joan Illuzzi-Orbon said Weinstein’s ankle monitor had been untraceable at least 56 times, in violation of the conditions of his release.
Defense lawyer Arthur Aidala countered that the device was undetectable due to “technical glitches.”
But Illuzzi-Orbon insisted Weinstein “didn’t want people to know where he was” and had failed to charge or keep the signaling component of the device with him.
He is a serious flight risk with unlimited resources at his disposal, the prosecutor argued.
Justice James Burke set a $2 million insurance company bond or $5 million cash.
The new bail legislation signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo earlier this year bars defendants from paying for their own ankle monitors, and a judge can only order the device if it’s administered by the government or a nonprofit.
The city still doesn’t have a vendor that can provide this service and likely won’t for months, sources told The Post.
As a result, Weinstein’s ankle monitor can no longer be mandated by the court. However, the $2 million bond was arranged by celebrity bondsman Ira Judelson, who is requiring that Weinstein continue to wear the device.
Judge Burke warned Weinstein that if he failed to appear in court or his lawyers claimed he couldn’t be present for health reasons, he’d issue a warrant for his arrest.
His legal team had asked for Wednesday’s proceedings to be postponed given Weinstein’s pain and imminent surgery — but the judge refused.
“This is the only time I’ve asked for it, to make sure I’m here on Jan. 6,” Weinstein whined, referencing the postponement request. “That’s a good thing for you.”
Burke, clearly annoyed, cut him off. “That’s a yes or no answer.”
“Yes,” Weinstein replied meekly.
Weinstein’s trial is slated to begin Jan. 6, and he faces up to life in prison. He’s charged with two counts of predatory sexual assault in connection with the alleged rape of “The Sopranos” actress Annabella Sciorra, 59, sometime between late 1993 and early 1994.
He’s also accused of forcibly performing oral sex on production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and raping another woman, who hasn’t been publicly named, in 2013.
Weinstein has denied any allegations of non-consensual sex.