Harvey Weinstein was indicted on sex-crime charges in a Manhattan court on Wednesday after revealing he will not testify before a grand jury.
Weinstein has been charged with first and third-degree rape, as well as one count of first-degree criminal sexual act after surrendering to face arrest in relation to crimes committed in 2004 and 2013. "This indictment brings the defendant another step closer to accountability for the crimes of violence with which he is now charged," revealed DA Cyrus Vance Jr.
Vance continues to note how an investigation of Weinstein "remains active and ongoing," while also blasting the former producer for his "recent assault on the integrity of the survivors and the legal process."
Vance has recently faced intense scrutiny after deciding not to prosecute Weinstein for having groped a female model back in 2015.
Weinstein's representatives reveal how he will not appear before a grand jury "on the advice of his attorneys." In a statement, Benjamin Brafman, a veteran defence lawyer hired by Weinstein, discloses how his client "intends to enter a plea of Not Guilty and vigorously defend against these unsupported allegations that he strongly denies. We will soon formally move to dismiss the indictment and if this case actually proceeds to trial, we expect Mr. Weinstein to be acquitted."
