Harvey Weinstein accused of breaching bail conditions by mishandling electronic tag
Written by News on 07/12/2019
Harvey Weinstein breached his bail conditions by mishandling an electronic tag which had been fitted to monitor his whereabouts, a New York prosecutor has argued.
The Oscar-winning producer’s location was unrecorded for hours at a time because of the “manipulation” of the ankle bracelet, prosecutor Joan Illuzzi said.
Ms Illuzi made the claim at Friday’s pre-trial hearing for Weinstein, 67, while asking a judge to increase his bail from $1m (£760,000) to $5m (£3.8m).
She accused the movie producer of leaving a piece of the monitoring technology that keeps the ankle bracelet activated at home.
Defence lawyer Donna Rotunno denied it was deliberate and blamed “technical glitches” such as dead batteries.
Ms Rotunno said after leaving court: “It has nothing to do with any manipulation of the bracelet.”
She acknowledged that on at least one occasion Weinstein forgot part of the device when he left the house, and added: “The minute he realised he forgot it, he made a phone call.”
The judge adjourned any decision about whether he should face stricter bail conditions over the alleged electronic tag violations until next week.
Weinstein was in court for one of many proceedings scheduled across the state to inform defendants of reforms to New York’s bail system.
The reforms are set to take effect on 1 January.
State politicians passed a law this year eliminating cash bail for most non-violent crimes.
For poorer defendants facing lesser charges these appearances could mean release from jail in the New Year, or refunds for those who have posted bail.
The reforms are unlikely to affect Weinstein’s case, which is scheduled to go to trial in January.
The producer has pleaded not guilty to charges he raped a woman in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 and performed a forcible sex act on a different woman in 2006.
He is free on $1m bail (£761,200) and denies that any sexual activity was non-consensual.
Weinstein’s wealth has given him plenty of freedom as he awaits trial on the charges, which could put him in jail for the rest of his life.
He has been socialising at New York City nightclubs and was jeered at a recent actors showcase.
(c) Sky News 2019: Harvey Weinstein accused of breaching bail conditions by mishandling electronic tag
