Harvey Weinstein Appears In LA Court, But Arraignment Postponed
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Former film mogul Harvey Weinstein appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom Monday in his ongoing sexual assault case, but his arraignment was again postponed.
A grand jury last week restored a count of sexual battery by restraint against a woman which had been dismissed by an L.A. County Superior Court judge for being beyond the statute of limitations. The charge related to an alleged incident which occurred in May 2010.
Overall, Weinstein is charged with sexually assaulting five women at L.A. area hotels from 2004 to 2013. He faces 11 criminal counts.
His arraignment was delayed to Sept. 20.
This marks the third time the prosecution has asked the grand jury to amend the indictment against the 69-year-old Weinstein, who was initially indicted in March on the 11 counts.
The challenged count is the only charge involving one of the five alleged victims. L.A. Superior Court Judge Lisa B. Lench initially sustained the defense's challenge to that count at a July 29 hearing, but agreed to allow the prosecution the opportunity to seek a grand jury indictment to amend the indictment.
After a long extradition fight, Weinstein was extradited July 20 from New York, where he has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for raping an aspiring actress and a criminal sex act against a former production assistant.
He was brought into a downtown L.A. courtroom in a wheelchair a day later, with one of his attorneys entering a not guilty plea on his behalf. He remains jailed without bail.
He faces four counts each of forcible rape and forcible oral copulation, two counts of sexual battery by restraint and one count of sexual penetration by use of force. He could face a potential maximum of 140 years to life in state prison if convicted as charged.
Through his company Miramax, Weinstein produced such films as "Shakespeare in Love" and "Pulp Fiction."
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