Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced former Hollywood mogul, will be extradited to a California prison after facing a retrial in Manhattan on charges of rape and sexual assault. California officials successfully pushed for Weinstein’s extradition, but he will remain at New York City’s Rikers Island until his Manhattan case, slated for a November trial, is concluded.
During a brief hearing in Queens Criminal Court, Weinstein, now 72, appeared in a wheelchair with one hand cuffed and the other holding a magazine and a book. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Weinstein was formally arraigned on a governor’s warrant issued by Governor Kathy Hochul, allowing him to stay in New York until his current case is resolved.
The extradition proceedings are being handled in Queens due to its proximity to Rikers Island, where Weinstein is housed in a special unit for inmates with health issues. Weinstein had been serving a 23-year sentence in New York when a separate Los Angeles jury convicted him in 2022 for raping an Italian model at a 2013 film festival.
However, in April, New York’s highest court overturned his New York conviction, citing errors made by the trial judge in allowing testimony from three women whose allegations were not directly related to the case. Manhattan prosecutors have tentatively scheduled a new trial for November 12, which may include fresh sexual assault charges.
Once the New York case concludes, Weinstein will be extradited to California to serve his sentence for the Los Angeles conviction, which is now considered his primary sentence. Despite the convictions, Weinstein has consistently denied all allegations, claiming that the encounters described by victims were consensual.
Weinstein’s legal team is currently appealing the California conviction, arguing that the overturning of his New York case strengthens their case to have the California verdict dismissed as well.
“We fully expected that Mr. Weinstein would be extradited to serve his term in California while awaiting the outcome of his California appeal,” said Juda Engelmayer, Weinstein’s publicist. “We are relieved that the Governor has signed the order allowing him to remain in New York while awaiting and planning for his New York retrial or new trial, should the DA choose that route. He needs to be near his legal team to properly adjudicate the New York matter, where we know he will prevail.”
