By Philip Marcelo
NEW YORK (AP) --Harvey Weinstein ‘s retrial on sex crimes charges in Manhattan won’t start until at least next year — and his lawyer plans to hire a private investigator to look into a new allegation against the movie mogul that will now be part of the case.
The new details came as Weinstein appeared in court Wednesday for a pretrial hearing.
Weinstein was already facing retrial on two sex crime charges after the state’s highest court overturned his 2020 conviction earlier this year. Then in September, he was hit with a new charge accusing him of another assault. He has pleaded not guilty.
In court on Wednesday, Judge Curtis Farber granted a prosecution request to consolidate both cases and said he’ll decide on a new trial date by Jan. 29, 2025.
The trial had been tentatively scheduled to open on Nov. 12, but Weinstein’s lawyers said they needed more time after the new charge was added, asking for a date in March or April
“We’re going to need some time to investigate the case, hire a private investigator and dig more into discovery,” said Weinstein’s lawyer Arthur Aidala.
Prosecutors said they were not opposed to that date, but are prepared to go to trial in January.
Weinstein was convicted on charges that he forcibly performed oral sex on a TV and film production assistant in 2006, and rape in the third degree for an attack on an aspiring actor in 2013. In the new charge, prosecutors say he forced oral sex on a different woman in a Manhattan hotel in the spring of 2006.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office had argued in court filings that holding separate trials would be “extraordinarily inefficient” and waste judicial resources. Prosecutors said the cases have significant overlap as they involve similar criminal statutes, witnesses, expert testimony and documentary evidence.
Weinstein’s lawyers had argued in court filings that the cases should remain separate. They said prosecutors are attempting to “expand the scope” of the court-ordered retrial and transform it into “an entirely new proceeding” by including the new charges.
Weinstein has been in custody at the city’s Rikers Island jail complex and has faced numerous health complications while behind bars.
He was also convicted of rape in Los Angeles in 2022, though his lawyers have appealed.
The sexual assault and harassment allegations against Weinstein turbocharged the #MeToo movement in 2017.
The 72-year-old former producer co-founded the film and television production companies Miramax and The Weinstein Company. He produced films including “Shakespeare in Love” and “The Crying Game.”
Coke’s quarterly revenue and volumes fall but still beat expectations
Coca-Cola Co. said Wednesday its third-quarter revenue fell as sales volumes flattened or declined around the world.
But the company still beat Wall Street's forecasts and said it expects full-year organic revenue to rise 10%, which is at the high end of its previous guidance.
The Atlanta beverage giant said its revenue fell 1% to $11.9 billion. That beat Wall Street's forecast of $11.6 billion, according to analysts polled by FactSet.
Coke hiked prices 10% in the July-September period. The company said that was partly due to hyperinflation in markets like Argentina. Coke has raised prices every quarter since the end of 2020.
But those higher prices are hurting demand. Coke said its unit case volumes fell 1% for the quarter. Demand for Coca-Cola Zero Sugar was up 11% but sales of juice, dairy, water, sports drinks and coffee were down.
"There's clearly parts of the consumer landscape where there's pressure on disposable income," Coca-Cola Chairman and CEO James Quincey said during a conference call with investors.
Quincey said Coke is focused on making drinks more affordable by offering smaller pack sizes and, in some markets, refillable bottles. But prices are also rising due to growing sales of premium beverages like Fairlife milk and Topo Chico sparkling water.
Quincey said Coke will continue to see some inflation in labor, packaging and commodity costs next year, but he also expects smaller price increases and a return to volume growth. Some volume losses in the third quarter were likely temporary; for example, demand was down in India due to monsoons.
"We see us heading towards a more normalized level of pricing going into next year," Quincey said. "We continue to be very choiceful about where we invest... Read More