Convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein goes blind and loses a few teeth behind bars, his lawyer said Monday – while the former film mogul has appeared in a northern court to fight extradition to Los Angeles for a new indictment of sexual crimes.
The ruined Hollywood rain producer practically appeared in the courtyard of Erie County, wearing a burgundy sweater and seemed to be in a good mood, smiling and talking to his lawyers before the proceedings began.
His lawyer, Norman Effman, said his client does not yet want to be sent to Golden State just because he has dental and eye procedures that need to be addressed first. Specifically, Effman said Weinstein is almost blind and needs eye surgery. In addition, he is “scheduled for some dental procedures to save his teeth – he lost, I think four at this time,” Effman said.
Judge Kenneth Case gave the defense a week to file a motion to challenge the extradition, which he intends to rule on April 30.
The fallen film mogul is charged in Los Angeles County Superior Court with a complaint for 11 offenses – including forced rape, forced oral copulation and sexual harassment by detention – resulting from the charges of five women.
Since then, he has been charged with similar but not identical charges, according to Effman. If convicted, he faces up to 140 years in life for alleged crimes ranging from 2004 to 2013.
The 69-year-old, who is serving 23 years for rape and criminal sexual acts at the Wende Correctional Facility, has been extradited to the City of Angels back twice due to the coronavirus pandemic. LA prosecutors filed extradition documents in March last year to bring the ashamed producer to California.
A Manhattan jury found Weinstein guilty in February 2020 of violating Jessica Mann’s hairstyle in 2013 and forcibly having oral sex on former Project Runway television member Miriam “Mimi” Haleyi in 2006.
He challenged the conviction earlier this month, saying he was “deprived of a fair trial”.
Weinstein’s Los Angeles lawyer, Mark Werksman, said his client was innocent. “These are old, unfounded, unsubstantiated, unbelievable accusations that arose during the hysteria of the #MeToo movement and we are confident that Mr Weinstein will be acquitted because there is no credible evidence against him. He is innocent, “Werksman said in a statement.
Before Monday’s hearing began, Weinstein, apparently unaware that his microphone was live, praised Werksman, who observed but did not attend the hearing for comment.
“It simply came to our notice then. I really appreciated that. It was great, “the closed predator erupted before his lawyer warned him he could be heard live. The conversation then turned to a discussion between his lawyers about the merits of air fryers.