Convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein is going blind and has lost several teeth behind bars, his lawyer claimed Monday — as the former film mogul appeared virtually in an upstate court to fight extradition to Los Angeles on a fresh sex-crimes indictment.
The ruined Hollywood rainmaker appeared in Erie County Court via video monitor, wearing a burgundy sweater, and seemed to be in good spirits, smiling and chatting with his lawyers before the proceeding began.
But his attorney Norman Effman told Judge Kenneth Case that his client doesn’t want to be shipped off to the Golden State just yet because he has dental and eye procedures that first need to be addressed.
Specifically, Effman said Weinstein is almost blind and needs an eye operation. In addition, he is “scheduled for some dental procedures to save his teeth — he’s lost, I believe four at this point,” Effman said.
LA prosecutors have refused to agree to a delay. But Effman is challenging the extradition on the grounds that the District Attorney’s Office filed inadequate paperwork. The case number on the documents is from the felony complaint. But Weinstein was recently indicted, which generated a new case number, and that should be on the papers, Effman argued.
Erie County Assistant DA Colleen Curtin Gable scolded Effman for not raising the paperwork issue sooner. “What’s humanitarian to all people involved including the victims in this case is that time is of the essence,” she said.
The judge granted the defense one week to file a motion to challenge the extradition, which he plans to rule on April 30.
Weinstein’s defense team can also petition embattled Gov. Andrew Cuomo to intervene on his behalf.
The fallen movie magnate is already serving 23 years for rape and criminal sex act at Wende Correctional Facility folowing his conviction in New York.
But he was hit in October with the 11-count felony complaint on the West Coast, which includes charges of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation and sexual battery by restraint stemming from the allegations of five women.
He has since been indicted on similar but not identical counts, according to Effman. If convicted, he faces up to 140 years to life in prison for the alleged crimes that stretch from 2004 to 2013.
The 69-year-old had his extradition to the City of Angels pushed back twice due to the coronavirus pandemic. LA prosecutors filed extradition paperwork in March last year to bring the disgraced producer to California.
A Manhattan jury found Weinstein guilty in February 2020 of raping hairstylist Jessica Mann in 2013 and forcibly performing oral sex on former “Project Runway” TV staffer Miriam “Mimi” Haleyi in 2006.
He appealed the conviction earlier this month, claiming he was “deprived of a fair trial.”
Weinstein’s Los Angeles lawyer Mark Werksman said his client is innocent. “These are stale, unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, uncredible allegations that arose during the hysteria of the #MeToo movement and we’re confident that Mr. Weinstein will be acquitted because there’s no credible evidence against him. He’s innocent,” Werksman said in a statement about the indictment.
Before Monday’s hearing began, Weinstein, seemingly unaware his mic was live, lauded Werksman, who was observing but not participating in the hearing.
“That was quite a statement. I really, really appreciated that. Thank you. That was awesome,” the imprisoned predator gushed before his attorney warned him he could be heard on the live feed.
