By Carolyn Thompson
BUFFALO, NY (AP) --New York prison officials handed over convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein for transport to California on Tuesday to face additional sexual assault charges, ending the former movie producer's protracted fight to delay his extradition.
Weinstein, 69, was released by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision at about 9:25 a.m., a department statement said.
His spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, said Weinstein's lawyers had still been trying to negotiate an extradition waiver but the transfer was expected "at some point."
"We will be fighting so that Harvey can receive his needed medical care and of course, so that he can be treated fairly," Engelmayer said. "Due process, presumption of innocence and a fair trial are all still his right."
Details of Weinstein's travels were not immediately known.
A New York judge in June approved Weinstein's extradition to California, denying his lawyers' request to keep him at a state prison near Buffalo — where he is serving a 23-year sentence for a rape conviction last year — until the start of jury selection in the Los Angeles case.
Weinstein's lawyer, Norman Effman, argued he should remain in Wende Correctional Facility's hospital-like maximum-security setting while receiving treatment for maladies including a loss of eyesight.
Weinstein was charged in January 2020 with 11 sexual assault counts in California involving five women, stemming from alleged assaults in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills from 2004 to 2013. The charges include rape, forcible oral copulation, sexual battery by restraint and sexual penetration by use of force.
Weinstein maintains his innocence and contends that any sexual activity was consensual.
The California charges were announced shortly before Weinstein's conviction in New York City on charges that he raped an aspiring actress in 2013 in a Manhattan hotel room and forcibly performed oral sex on a TV and film production assistant in 2006 at his Manhattan apartment.
He is appealing that conviction.
A lawyer for one of Weinstein's accusers applauded Tuesday's transfer, which was repeatedly delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as legal arguments over paperwork and his medical needs."The opportunity to hold Weinstein accountable for his actions in California gives voice to the survivors including my client, Jane Doe 4," attorney Elizabeth Fegan said in a statement. "They deserve to be heard and to have Weinstein answer for his actions. Our hope is that a guilty verdict in California will ensure that Harvey Weinstein will spend the rest of his life behind bars – securing justice for women everywhere."
Associated Press writer Michael Sisak in New York City contributed to this report.
Kendrick Lamar will headline the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show
Kendrick Lamar will pop out on the NFL's biggest stage next year: The Grammy winner will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans.
The NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced Sunday that Lamar would lead the halftime festivities from the Caesars Superdome on Feb. 9. The rap megastar, who has won 17 Grammys, said he's looking forward to bringing hip-hop to the NFL's championship game, where he performed as a guest artist with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg in 2022.
"Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date," Lamar said in a statement. "And I'll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one."
Lamar has experienced massive success since his debut album "good kid, m.A.A.d city" in 2012. Since then, he's accumulated 17 Grammy wins and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album "DAMN."
The rapper's latest album "Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers," was released in 2022. He was featured on the song "Like That" with Future and Metro Boomin on a track that spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this year. He also garnered another hit with "Not Like Us."
Roc Nation founder Jay-Z called Lamar a "once-in-a-generation" artist and performer.
"His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision," Jay-Z said. "He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick's work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come."
Roc Nation and Emmy-winning producer Jesse Collins will serve as co-executive producers of the halftime show. The creative direction of Lamar's performance will be provided by pgLang.
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