Disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein must stand trial for five felony sex crimes, including two counts of rape, after a New York judge rejected his lawyers’ push to drop all charges against him.
“We are obviously disappointed by the court’s decision to deny our motion to dismiss the indictment,” defense attorney Benjamin Brafman said after the hearing. “Judge Burke has, however, ruled and we must accept his ruling. Nothing in the court’s ruling, however, removes the flawed theory of this case… We are confident that Mr. Weinstein will be completely exonerated.”
Brafman insisted that the judge’s decision “does not suggest the case against [Weinstein] is going to end badly.”
The ruling comes some six months after Weinstein’s dramatic New York City arrest, ABC News pointed out.
The prosecution’s case against him took a blow two months ago when one charge was dropped thanks to his attorneys’ successful argument that the case was tainted by a lead detective who allegedly withheld evidence.
Among those in the courtroom were actresses and #TimesUp representatives Marisa Tomei and Kathy Najimy as well as Gloria Allred, the attorney for several women accusing Weinstein of assault.
“This is not about the #MeToo movement,” Brafman said following the hearing. “This is defending a specific criminal case.”
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