Harvey Weinstein appeared in a New York courtroom overnight and pleaded not guilty to one count of criminal sex act in the first degree after he was indicted by a grand jury earlier this month.
Weinstein, who was present in the courtroom in a wheelchair and wearing a suit, was medically cleared to attend the hearing after recovering from an emergency procedure on his heart and lungs in recent weeks.
The indictment was unsealed on Wednesday after it was initially announced during a court hearing last Thursday. It had remained sealed at the time because Weinstein, 72, was not yet able to attend the hearing due to his health.
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CNN previously reported that prosecutors in New York began presenting the case to the grand jury in August.
Weinstein was previously convicted of first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape in 2020 in New York and subsequently sentenced to 23 years in prison. His conviction was overturned by the New York Court of Appeals in April, who said that his constitutional rights were violated throughout the trial.
A retrial on the 2020 charges is tentatively set to begin on November 12.
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Prosecutors on Wednesday motioned to consolidate this new indictment with the charges stemming from Weinstein’s upcoming retrial, which Weinstein’s attorneys had previously opposed. Weinstein’s defense has until September 24 to respond.
Weinstein remains in prison while he appeals a separate 2022 conviction in Los Angeles, where he was found guilty on three sexual assault charges and sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Weinstein is due back in court for next hearing on October 2.
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