Harvey Weinstein Pleads Not Guilty to Rape Charges From Grand Jury
Harvey Weinstein pleaded not guilty Tuesday morning in state court in Manhattan to two counts of first- and third-degree rape and first-degree criminal sexual act, kicking off another legal battle for the embattled movie mogul.
June 05, 2018 at 10:48 AM
3 minute read
Harvey Weinstein pleaded not guilty Tuesday morning in state court in Manhattan to two counts of first- and third-degree rape and first-degree criminal sexual act, kicking off another legal battle for the embattled movie mogul.
A grand jury voted last week to indict Weinstein, who turned himself in to police on May 25 and was first arraigned on the same day. He did not testify before the grand jury because Weinstein's attorneys were “unfairly denied access” to information that they would need to defend him before the grand jury and there would be inadequate time to get Weinstein prepared.
The criminal sexual act count pertains to Lucia Evans, who says Weinstein allegedly forced her to perform oral sex during a period from June to September 2004, according to the indictment. Evans came forward and publicly confirmed that she was the victim of the alleged offense following Weinstein's arrest.
The rape charges pertain to a second, still-unnamed victim with whom Weinstein had forcible intercourse in 2013. Weinstein entered his plea before Acting Manhattan Supreme Court Justice James Burke.
Following the arraignment, Weinstein's attorney, Benjamin Brafman of Benjamin A. Brafman & Associates, told reporters that his client has maintained that he has never had “nonconsensual sex with anyone.”
“And as terrible a crime as rape is, it is equally reprehensible to be falsely accused of rape and since Mr. Weinstein has denied these allegations, that's where we are,” Brafman said. “In his view, he has been falsely accused of rape and I intend to help him win this case fair and square on the merits or the lack of merits.”
Brafman also said he would determine if there is a legal basis for trying the two sets of charges against his client separately. Weinstein is free on $1 million bail.
Assistant District Attorneys Joan Illuzzi and Kevin Wilson appeared at the arraignment for Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.'s office. The office declined to comment on the arraignment.
Following the grand jury vote, Vance said in a statement that Weinstein assaulted the “integrity of the survivors” and that his office will try the case “in the courtroom where it belongs” and not through the media.
Weinstein's arraignment comes days after three women filed a lawsuit under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act against Weinstein, production companies Miramax and The Weinstein Cos.; the Walt Disney Co. and other defendants alleging that they were subject to Weinstein's sexual predations and were kept quiet about them as part of a criminal enterprise between the defendants.
The RICO suit filed on June 1 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York is one of at least a dozen pending lawsuits against Weinstein pertaining to alleged sexual misconduct, according to papers filed in another suit filed by insurance giant Chubb regarding coverage for his legal defense.
In additional to the two RICO suits against Weinstein in the Southern District of New York, as well as a third RICO suit pending in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Weinstein faces suits in Los Angeles Superior Court, as well as courts in London and Canada.
There are also criminal investigations of Weinstein underway in London and California, according to court papers.
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