Harvey Weinstein's lawyers' legal options to prevent his extradition to Los Angeles, where he faces 11 charges of rape and sexual harassment, seem to be running out, as Weinstein was seen from his prison during a virtual Zoom hearing on Friday morning, during which Erie County Judge Kenneth Case stated that he will be transferred to Los Angeles in 30 days, on May 30, 2021, to face additional charges.
According to the Daily Mail report on Friday, which obtained video from the hearing, Weinstein seems likely to be sent to Los Angeles unless New York Governor Andrew Cuomo intervenes or his own legal team effectively challenges his detention.
"We don't need to come back," the judge said. "He has 30 days to contest the arrest or have the governor disapprove of the transfer."
Attorney Norman Effman told the judge that he will file papers in the next 30 days that will almost probably necessitate a second court appearance in the case of Weinstein's extradition, according to the report.
Weinstein's attorneys have attempted to postpone their client's extradition to Los Angeles for as long as possible, arguing that he should be able to receive treatment for a variety of health issues in one place.
They claimed that his extradition papers were not in order last month, and Weinstein was granted a temporary reprieve from extradition.
Weinstein has been incarcerated at the Wende Correctional Facility near Buffalo since last spring, after being accused of a felony sex act and third-degree rape in New York City. Prosecutors in Los Angeles are seeking his transfer on charges of harassing five women between 2004 and 2013 in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills.
He is charged with 11 counts of rape and sexual assault, with a potential sentence of 140 years in prison.
According to the report, Weinstein appeared remotely from a prison conference room for the hearing, where the former world-renowned producer did not speak other than to welcome and thank the judge.
Weinstein was first charged in a criminal complaint in California and later indicted by a grand jury. He maintains his innocence and claims that any sexual activity he engaged in was voluntary.
Effman had previously demanded a "humanitarian" extension in Weinstein's already pandemic-delayed extradition in order to attend to his medical needs, but California prosecutors refused his appeal. Weinstein is set to have two surgical operations, eye surgery and a dental operation, according to his attorney.
Weinstein is "almost technically blind," he said earlier this month and has lost four teeth while incarcerated. In March, the former producer also recovered from the novel coronavirus.
Many saw the allegations against Weinstein in 2017 as the catalyst for the #MeToo campaign, which resulted in countless women around the world coming forward and sharing their stories of sexual harassment, both at work and at home.
