Harvey Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape and seven counts of sexual assault in a Los Angeles court.
In a wheelchair, the 69-year-old convicted rapist arrived in court. He wore a brown jail outfit and a mask over his face. Weinstein was extradited to California from New York, where he is serving a 23-year sentence, and his attorney Mark Werksman submitted the plea the next day.
He maintains his innocence, claiming that any sexual contact was voluntary.
The incidents are believed to have occurred in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles hotels between 2004 and 2013. Forceful rape, forcible oral copulation, sexual battery by constraint, and sexual penetration by force are among the charges.
If convicted, Weinstein could face a sentence of 140 years in prison.
When she wished Judge Sergio Tapia “good luck,” the Hollywood producer just said, “thank you.”
The charges, according to his lawyer, were false.
“They are baseless, they are from long, long ago, they are uncorroborated,” Werksman said after the hearing.
Weinstein is appealing his conviction from last year in New York. He has been accused of sexual misconduct by over 80 women, with some allegations dating back decades.
The #MeToo movement was aided by allegations made public in 2017, which encouraged others to share their experiences with sexual harassment and assault.
Only a small percentage of the complaints have led to criminal charges.
As per Btimesonline, the identities of the women were kept hidden in the indictment. Two of them are represented by Gloria Allred, who claims that the age of the incidents has no influence on their validity.
“Allegations of sexual assault and rape do take a long time to report, so the idea that they may not have disclosed to a law enforcement officer for many years does not mean that those are not credible,” Allred said.
Weinstein’s extradition to California took well over a year due to the pandemic and procedural delays.