Harvey Weinstein Retains Modern Legal Team as Third Trial Looms

Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has changed legal representation as he prepares for a third trial in New York related to sexual assault allegations. This move comes as his previous legal team continues to pursue an appeal of his prior convictions.

New Counsel Appointed

Jacob Kaplan of Agnifilo Intrater has been brought on to represent Weinstein, as confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter. Kaplan is currently representing Luigi Mangione in a separate murder case. He will be joined by Marc Agnifilo, also representing Mangione, and Teny Geragos, who recently defended Sean “Diddy” Combs in his sex trafficking and racketeering trial.

Previous Convictions and Appeals

Weinstein was initially convicted in New York in 2020 of criminal sexual act in the first degree and rape in the third degree, receiving a 23-year sentence. Yet, New York’s Court of Appeals overturned these verdicts in April 2024, ruling that the trial judge had improperly allowed testimony from women whose allegations were not part of the formal charges.

A retrial in 2025 resulted in a conviction for forcing oral sex on Miriam Haley, a former Project Runway assistant, but an acquittal on charges involving former model Kaja Sokola. Weinstein’s previous legal team, Aidala Bertuna &amp. Kamins, who handled the first two trials, will continue to handle the appeal of his latest conviction. Attorney Arthur Aidala expressed confidence that the conviction would be overturned, citing “serious errors” in the proceedings.

Current Charges and Trial Details

The upcoming trial will focus on a remaining third-degree rape charge that ended in a mistrial. Prosecutors and defense counsel are attempting to resolve the charge, but it may proceed to trial. A scheduled court appearance to finalize trial details was postponed to next week.

Additional Legal Proceedings

In addition to the New York cases, Weinstein was convicted in a separate trial in Los Angeles in 2022 of rape and sexual assault. He remains incarcerated at Rikers Island in New York due to the Los Angeles conviction, even with his New York convictions vacated.

Juror Coercion Claims Dismissed

Weinstein’s attempt to secure a new trial based on allegations of juror coercion in the 2025 retrial was recently rejected by the court.