New York:
Jailed ex-filmmaker Harvey Weinstein, who is serving a 23-year prison sentence for rape and sexual assault in New York, can be transferred to Los Angeles, a judge ruled Tuesday, paving the way for a new trial on extra charges.
Lawyers for Weinstein, who was identified guilty last year in a landmark verdict for the #MeToo movement, had been arguing for weeks against the transfer, most notably on healthcare grounds.
However, Erie County Court Judge Kenneth Case rejected the arguments, providing a green light for the transfer for the duration of a video hearing.
While no date has but been set, Los Angeles prosecutors count on to take away Weinstein from the Erie County prison sometime among late June and mid-July, a spokeswoman for the county prosecutor mentioned.
At the finish of the hearing, Weinstein plunged his head into his hands.
The 69-year-old former Hollywood mogul is accused in Los Angeles of rape and sexual assault against 5 ladies, which would make him eligible for up to 140 years in prison.
Weinstein denies all charges, and has constantly maintained that his interactions with the ladies who brought the New York and Los Angeles instances against him had been consensual.
Weinstein filed an appeal in April in New York against the rape and sexual assault convictions.
In total almost 90 ladies have accused Weinstein of sexual harassment or assault.
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