Harvey Weinstein formally charged with rape and a criminal sex act; posts $1M bail

Show Caption Hide Caption Harvey Weinstein arrested, charged with sex crimes

Disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein has been released on $1 million bail, following his arraignment Friday.

He was charged in Manhattan court with rape, criminal sex act and other sex charges stemming from encounters with two women.

Accused by more than 80 women, Weinstein surrendered to the New York Police Department and Manhattan District Attorney's office Friday morning.

At the arraignment, Weinstein agreed to wear an electronic monitoring device, paid for at his own expense.

Harvey Weinsteinappears in court after turning himself in to NYPD relating to sexual misconduct charges https://t.co/MizLdCKzFN — Circa (@Circa) May 25, 2018

Weinstein was instructed he could only travel in New York state and Connecticut. Should he desire to go to another state, he has to seek permission. Weinstein has received a grand jury notice and by May 30 will opt to testify or not.

The victim has received an order of protection and will be identified to the court, prosecution and defense but will otherwise remain anonymous.

The next hearing is scheduled for July 30.

Weinstein turned himself in at NYPD's 1st Precinct around 7:30 a.m ET. Carrying books the AP identified as Something Wonderful: Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway Revolution and Elia Kazan about the stage and film director in his right hand, Weinstein was noticeably struggling to walk. He hobbled into the precinct clad in a dark blazer and white-collared shirt beneath a blue sweater.

Weinstein left the station before 9 a.m. in handcuffs headed to court for his arraignment.

As Weinstein headed into the courthouse, AP reports he was questioned by the crowd. "You sorry, Harvey?" someone shouted. The question "What can you say?" was also raised. In reply, Weinstein softly shook his head and answered "No."

Weinstein has consistently denied any allegations of non-consensual sex. His lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said Friday that he would fight to get the charges dismissed, saying they're factually unsupported and constitutionally flawed.

Brafman issued a statement to USA TODAY following Friday's proceedings, reiterating his client's stance. "Mr. Weinstein has always maintained that he has never engaged in non-consensual sexual behavior with anyone. Nothing about today's proceedings changes Mr. Weinstein's position. He has entered a plea of not guilty and fully expects to be exonerated."

Police expressed their gratitude to Weinstein's accusers. "The NYPD thanks these brave survivors for their courage to come forward and seek justice," a statement read. "The arrest and ensuing charges are the result of a joint investigation between the NYPD and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office."

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. also thanked the Weinstein's claimants for their courage in a statement shared to Twitter on Friday. "Thank you to the brave survivors who have come forward, our office’s tireless prosecutors, and our dedicated partners at @NYPDNews," he shared before urging those with additional accounts or information to reach out.

Thank you to the brave survivors who have come forward, our office’s tireless prosecutors, and our dedicated partners at @NYPDNews.



We urge additional survivors and others with relevant information to call us at 212-335-9373. #HarveyWeinsteinhttps://t.co/OzIv2ukycF — Cyrus Vance, Jr. (@ManhattanDA) May 25, 2018

When discussing the accusations facing his client, Brafman reminded reporters Friday his job isn’t “to defend behavior; my job is to defend something that is criminal behavior.”

“Mr. Weinstein did not invent the casting couch in Hollywood,” he declared, “and to the extent that there is bad behavior in that industry, that is not what this is about. Bad behavior is not on trial in this case; it’s only if you intentionally committed a criminal act, and Mr. Weinstein vigorously denies that.”

Friday's events come nearly eight months after The New York Times exposed three decades of alleged sexual misconduct ranging from harassment to rape from accusers including Ashley Judd, Rose McGowan, Salma Hayek, Lupita Nyong'o and Gwyneth Paltrow. Soon afterward, Weinstein decamped to Arizona to seek treatment.

Weinstein has been under investigation for months in New York, Los Angeles and London.

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Several of the actresses who have made allegations against Weinstein, including McGowan and Annabella Sciorra, applauded his impending arrest on social media.

“The justice system has been something very elusive,” McGowan said. “I hope in this case it works. Because it’s all true. None of this was consensual.”

Weinstein became a larger-than-life figure in Hollywood as co-founder of the "mini-major" studios Miramax (started in 1979) and The Weinstein Company (2005), producing and distributing awards-friendly films such as Oscar best-picture winners The Artist and The King’s Speech.

The domineering studio head amassed tremendous influence with his strong personality, his ability to identify and champion artistic projects and his track record of Oscar success — the latter cemented when Weinstein's Shakespeare in Love was a shock best-picture winner over Steven Spielberg's heavily favored Saving Private Ryan in 1999.

The Weinstein scandal has triggered a cascade of accusations against Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K., Charlie Rose, Matt Lauer and Morgan Freeman, among others.

Contributing: Maeve McDermott, The Associated Press

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