Despite new charges, judge declines to put Weinstein under house arrest
NEW YORK — A judge denied a request from prosecutors Monday to place Harvey Weinstein under house arrest in light of new charges against the movie producer that carry a penalty of life in prison if he is convicted.
Brought into the courtroom in handcuffs, Weinstein, 66, was released on bail after pleading not guilty in state Supreme Court in Manhattan on charges that he sexually assaulted a woman in 2006.
Three women’s accusations of Weinstein-forcing them to have sex against their will have led to charges, and the new indictment includes two counts of predatory sexual assault, opening him up to a life sentence.
Joan Illuzzi, the lead prosecutor, said Weinstein had sold a house in Connecticut, where he has been living, without telling prosecutors. Given the possibility of a life sentence and Weinstein’s wealth, she urged Justice James Burke to order him held under house arrest.
But Weinstein’s lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, argued Weinstein already could have been sentenced to 25 years under a rape charge in the previous indictment, which, for a 66-year-old, is tantamount to a life sentence.
After hearing both arguments, Burke brusquely announced he would keep the bail the same.
Once one of the most powerful producers in Hollywood, Weinstein has been accused of sexual harassment and assault by more than 80 women, among them well-known actresses like Rose McGowan and Annabella Sciorra.
In Manhattan, he is accused of three sexual attacks. The indictment says he forced an aspiring actress to give him oral sex in his Tribeca offices in 2004, raped another woman at a Midtown hotel in 2013 and compelled a third woman to let him give her oral sex in his Manhattan apartment in 2006.