A lawyer for Keith Raniere, the convicted leader of the alleged sex cult Nxivm, focused on the definition of a “commercial sex act,” alleged sixth amendment violations, and supposedly prejudicial abortion evidence during a hearing in front of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on Tuesday, May 3.
The appeals hearing got under way almost two years after Raniere was sentenced to 120 cumulative years in prison for his role as the leader of Nxivm. The year before, Raniere was found guilty on all seven criminal charges against him,...
The appeals hearing got under way almost two years after Raniere was sentenced to 120 cumulative years in prison for his role as the leader of Nxivm. The year before, Raniere was found guilty on all seven criminal charges against him,...
- 5/3/2022
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Harvey Weinstein wants his money back.
The imprisoned producer — who is awaiting extradition to Los Angeles — filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against Jose Baez, one of several lawyers who briefly represented him in his New York rape case.
He is seeking the return of $1 million in legal fees, arguing that Baez failed to substantiate the charges.
Baez — the Florida attorney best known for winning the Casey Anthony case — was Weinstein’s lawyer for about five months in 2019. Baez charged a non-refundable retainer of $200,000 per month. Under their original agreement, Baez anticipated charging a total of $2 million over 10 months.
According to the complaint, Weinstein became dissatisfied with Baez’s representation. The suit alleges that Baez was “regularly preoccupied with other matters, regularly unavailable to communicate to Weinstein, and not directly involved with the compilation, investigation, research, and drafting of various high priority substantive legal work.”
Much of that work was delegated to Baez’s co-counsel,...
The imprisoned producer — who is awaiting extradition to Los Angeles — filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against Jose Baez, one of several lawyers who briefly represented him in his New York rape case.
He is seeking the return of $1 million in legal fees, arguing that Baez failed to substantiate the charges.
Baez — the Florida attorney best known for winning the Casey Anthony case — was Weinstein’s lawyer for about five months in 2019. Baez charged a non-refundable retainer of $200,000 per month. Under their original agreement, Baez anticipated charging a total of $2 million over 10 months.
According to the complaint, Weinstein became dissatisfied with Baez’s representation. The suit alleges that Baez was “regularly preoccupied with other matters, regularly unavailable to communicate to Weinstein, and not directly involved with the compilation, investigation, research, and drafting of various high priority substantive legal work.”
Much of that work was delegated to Baez’s co-counsel,...
- 5/5/2021
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
Harvey Weinstein appeared in a Manhattan courtroom on Thursday morning to switch his legal team just two months before he’s expected to stand trial.
The one-time powerful movie mogul was charged in May 2018 for rape and sexual assault. Since then, he’s changed his legal team twice.
His new defense attorneys, Damon Cheronis and Donna Rotunno, stepped in to replace Ronald Sullivan and Jose Baez, who on Thursday asked to be excused from the case. The two lawyers reportedly decided to part ways with Weinstein after facing pressure from the public and not getting along with their client.
Weinstein didn’t say much at the hearing. But he smiled and said “hi” to an attendee as he made his way to his seat.
In January, Weinstein’s original lawyer left his team, leading to a delay in the trial to May 2019, which was then delayed again to a new...
The one-time powerful movie mogul was charged in May 2018 for rape and sexual assault. Since then, he’s changed his legal team twice.
His new defense attorneys, Damon Cheronis and Donna Rotunno, stepped in to replace Ronald Sullivan and Jose Baez, who on Thursday asked to be excused from the case. The two lawyers reportedly decided to part ways with Weinstein after facing pressure from the public and not getting along with their client.
Weinstein didn’t say much at the hearing. But he smiled and said “hi” to an attendee as he made his way to his seat.
In January, Weinstein’s original lawyer left his team, leading to a delay in the trial to May 2019, which was then delayed again to a new...
- 7/11/2019
- by Mackenzie Nichols
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Despite being on the job for barely over a week, Harvey Weinstein’s newest and latest defense lawyers won’t be asking a New York state judge for another delay in the start of the Oscar winning producer’s rape trial.
Led by recently hired Chicago attorneys Damon Cheronis and Donna Rotunno, the once again revamped team will be officially confirmed as Weinstein’s reps at a July 11 hearing in front of New York Supreme Court Justice James Burke. However, as part of that process, the Windy City lawyers had to assure Burke that they would not seek more time to prepare for the currently scheduled September 9 rape trial, I’ve learned.
An insider close to the Weinstein team confirmed the agreement between the lawyers and the judge. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr’s office had no comment on the stability of the trial date when contacted by Deadline.
Led by recently hired Chicago attorneys Damon Cheronis and Donna Rotunno, the once again revamped team will be officially confirmed as Weinstein’s reps at a July 11 hearing in front of New York Supreme Court Justice James Burke. However, as part of that process, the Windy City lawyers had to assure Burke that they would not seek more time to prepare for the currently scheduled September 9 rape trial, I’ve learned.
An insider close to the Weinstein team confirmed the agreement between the lawyers and the judge. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr’s office had no comment on the stability of the trial date when contacted by Deadline.
- 7/8/2019
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
(Updated with judge’s ruling) About a month before Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial is set to begin, the much-accused producer’s latest defense team and the Manhattan District Attorney got support from a judge, who closed a pivotal hearing Friday to the public and the press.
New York Supreme Court Justice James Burke rejected appeals from press organizations — a roster of major New York and national outlets — who insisted that the public’s right to follow the case supersedes privacy or fair-trial concerns.
Allowing the hearing to be open to press, with unsealed records circulating, “would perversely have the effect of broadcasting to the jury pool allegations that may never be admissible at trial,” Burke said. There was “no reasonable alternative” to closing the courtroom exists that would ensure a fair trial for Weinstein, he added.
Before getting to the actual matter at hand today, on if others who...
New York Supreme Court Justice James Burke rejected appeals from press organizations — a roster of major New York and national outlets — who insisted that the public’s right to follow the case supersedes privacy or fair-trial concerns.
Allowing the hearing to be open to press, with unsealed records circulating, “would perversely have the effect of broadcasting to the jury pool allegations that may never be admissible at trial,” Burke said. There was “no reasonable alternative” to closing the courtroom exists that would ensure a fair trial for Weinstein, he added.
Before getting to the actual matter at hand today, on if others who...
- 4/26/2019
- by Dominic Patten and Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Given his infamously belligerent personality and predilection for public meltdowns (including one tantrum where he allegedly put out a cigarette in a plate of lox on a craft services table), it’s perhaps unsurprising that disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has been on less than great behavior in the months leading up to his trial. He has reportedly had fights with members of his legal team, leading at least one of his lawyers to quit, and a dispute over payment led to at least one female lawyer on his team...
- 3/7/2019
- by EJ Dickson
- Rollingstone.com
Update, 1:45 Pm: Back in the old days, news that people wanted buried or forgotten was often dumped on a Friday in the hopes it would be lost over the weekend.
Not sure the strategic principle still applies in the digital age, but today it was announced that the latest hearing in Harvey Weinstein’s rape case will be pushed back at least a month.
The March 8 session in New York Supreme Court Justice James Burke’s NYC courtroom will now occur sometime in April. Coming out of a close door meeting between the Manhattan D.A.’s office and Weinstein’s lawyers, the postponement comes at the request of the disgraced producer’s relatively new defense team, I hear.
As Deadline exclusively reported last month, Jose Baez, Ronald Sullivan, Duncan Levin and Pam Mackey want more time to get up to speed on the matter that could see Weinstein...
Not sure the strategic principle still applies in the digital age, but today it was announced that the latest hearing in Harvey Weinstein’s rape case will be pushed back at least a month.
The March 8 session in New York Supreme Court Justice James Burke’s NYC courtroom will now occur sometime in April. Coming out of a close door meeting between the Manhattan D.A.’s office and Weinstein’s lawyers, the postponement comes at the request of the disgraced producer’s relatively new defense team, I hear.
As Deadline exclusively reported last month, Jose Baez, Ronald Sullivan, Duncan Levin and Pam Mackey want more time to get up to speed on the matter that could see Weinstein...
- 3/1/2019
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Update, 7:23 Am: Harvey Weinstein officially has a new defense team today, according to the New York Supreme Court.
“Welcome to the New York State Supreme Court,” Justice James Burke told attorneys Ronald Sullivan Jose Baez and Duncan Levin this morning in a hearing in lower Manhattan with the disgraced producer in attendance. Along with Pam Mackey, the Harvard professor, his long time Florida-based associate and Levin were formally approved by the court to take over Weinstein’s counsel from the now exited Ben Brafman.
While Brafman was there, Denver-based Mackey did not join Weinstein, Sullivan, Baez and Levin at the hearing Friday.
No word yet if the change in lawyers and probably legal tactics will lead to a delay in the May start of Weinstein’s criminal trial. The rape charges against the Sundance Film Festival regular could see Weinstein behind bars for life if found guilty on indictments...
“Welcome to the New York State Supreme Court,” Justice James Burke told attorneys Ronald Sullivan Jose Baez and Duncan Levin this morning in a hearing in lower Manhattan with the disgraced producer in attendance. Along with Pam Mackey, the Harvard professor, his long time Florida-based associate and Levin were formally approved by the court to take over Weinstein’s counsel from the now exited Ben Brafman.
While Brafman was there, Denver-based Mackey did not join Weinstein, Sullivan, Baez and Levin at the hearing Friday.
No word yet if the change in lawyers and probably legal tactics will lead to a delay in the May start of Weinstein’s criminal trial. The rape charges against the Sundance Film Festival regular could see Weinstein behind bars for life if found guilty on indictments...
- 1/25/2019
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Producer accused of sexual assault by multiple women, including McGowan, to be represented by Jose Baez and Ronald Sullivan
Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has hired a new legal team – including lawyers who once represented one of his most prominent accusers, Rose McGowan.
Weinstein, who is battling sexual assault charges in New York, parted ways with his high-powered lawyer Benjamin Brafman and brought on new lawyers to represent him in the case.
Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has hired a new legal team – including lawyers who once represented one of his most prominent accusers, Rose McGowan.
Weinstein, who is battling sexual assault charges in New York, parted ways with his high-powered lawyer Benjamin Brafman and brought on new lawyers to represent him in the case.
- 1/23/2019
- by Erin Durkin
- The Guardian - Film News
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