Weinstein Barred From Immediately Releasing Victims' Docs Gained in Del. Bankruptcy Case
The former Hollywood mogul was ordered to first confer with the plaintiffs in a class action brought in Manhattan federal court before any of the information could be released publicly.
December 20, 2018 at 05:33 PM
3 minute read
Harvey Weinstein, center, in court on May 25. Photo: Steven Hirsch/New York Post via AP, Pool
U.S. District Judge Alan Hellerstein of the Southern District of New York provided the class plaintiffs pursuing a federal lawsuit against former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein a path to keep confidential documents Weinstein is seeking in the course of bankruptcy proceedings in the U.S. bankruptcy court in Delaware.
In a two-page order issued Thursday, Hellerstein said that in the event that the Delaware court grants Weinstein's motion to be able to use communications with some of the women now accusing him of sexual assault and harassment in other proceedings, the ex-mogul could provide the plaintiffs in the New York suit “any documents relating to any plaintiff named or identified” in the initial complaint in the now-consolidated class suit.
Counsel in the New York litigation, captioned Geiss v. Weinstein Co. Holdings, would then be able to flag for proposing confidentiality any of the documents they believe should be deemed as such. The parties are then ordered to conference, and if any disagreements arise, to file motions with the court.
Hellerstein specifically directed Weinstein not to go public with documents he might retrieve from the Delaware court before “he has obtained plaintiffs' consent and authorization from this court.”
Hellerstein said the reasoning for the order had been discussed by the parties in a Wednesday conference call.
Attorneys had argued in court filings in both New York and Delaware that Weinstein was improperly looking to mine the discovery process in Delaware federal bankruptcy court for information to discredit sexual assault claims against him in Manhattan federal court.
The lead attorney for the plaintiffs, Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro name attorney Elizabeth Fegan, argued in court documents that Weinstein's goal was to “impugn and attack his victims who have filed civil lawsuits while avoiding” the “oversight of an orderly discovery process.”
Fegan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A spokesman for Weinstein declined to immediately comment.
Related:
Weinstein Accusers Seek to Block Emails Unearthed in Del. Bankruptcy Action
Judge Denies Weinstein's Motion to Dismiss Remaining Sexual Assault Charges
Cuomo, Lawmakers Agree to Pause Prosecutorial Conduct Watchdog
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