Harvey Weinstein hearing - live updates: Sex assault trial to proceed after New York judge denies dismissal

Rose McGowan: 'everybody knew' in Hollywood of Harvey Weinstein allegations

Harvey Weinstein is in court in New York as a judge decides on the future of his sexual assault case.

Judge James Burke is expected to decide whether to drop some or all of the charges against Weinstein, schedule a trial or throw out the indictment against the file producer, allowing prosecutors to file a new one. Weinstein has denied all charges against him.

A recent flurry of court papers from Weinstein's lawyers say the case has devolved into chaos, but prosecutors say there is ample evidence to move forward to trial.

Follow updates in our liveblog below

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[20 December 2018 14:52 · Chris Stevenson]

Late last month, Weinstein's lawyers said in a court filing that they spoke to a woman who said the rape accuser asked her to corroborate her allegations, but the friend wouldn't “make up a story.”

The friend told investigators that Weinstein and the accuser had been “hooking up” consensually for a while and that she never heard her say anything bad about him until last year, Weinstein's lawyer, Ben Brafman, said in the filing.

[20 December 2018 14:55 · Chris Stevenson]

The judge has denied the defenses's motion to dismiss the remaining five charges against Weinstein.

The case will now move forward

[20 December 2018 14:58 · Chris Stevenson]

Weinstein's lawyers have quickly moved to speak outside the court. Benjamin Brafman, speaking for Weinstein, saying they are "disappointed" in the ruling 

 

[20 December 2018 14:59 · Chris Stevenson]

Judge James Burke held a very brief court session.

After a short discussion with the lawyers, the judge denied the motion to dismiss the case. 

[20 December 2018 15:00 · Chris Stevenson]

The next court date is set for 7 March

[20 December 2018 15:12 · Chris Stevenson]

Weinstein's lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, told reporters that he is still confident the disgraced Hollywood mogul will be "completely exonerated."

[20 December 2018 15:15 · Chris Stevenson]

Here is some more from Mr Brafman - speaking about the #MeToo movement that gained traction in the wake of the first allegations against Weinstein surfaced last year.

 

[20 December 2018 15:27 · Chris Stevenson]

About half a dozen women supporting Time's Up - a legal defence fund set up at the start of 2018 to help those facing sexual harassment, assault or abuse in the workplace - were at the Weinstein hearing. They included actresses Amber Tamblyn and Marisa Tomei.

"Today, here in New York, we saw the first steps towards justice," Time's Up President Lisa Borders said after the judge's ruling. 

[20 December 2018 15:38 · Chris Stevenson]

Here is attorney Gloria Allred speaking about the Weinstein indictment outside court.

 

[20 December 2018 15:49 · Chris Stevenson]

In the hearing, Judge Burke ruled that Weinstein's claims of prosecutorial misconduct had "no basis" and also denied Weinstein's request for an evidentiary hearing.