Who Is Harvey Weinstein? Convicted Sex Offender Hires Rape Accused Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Lawyers Ahead of 3rd New York Rape Trial

Harvey Weinstein has retained a new attorney as he prepares for another retrial in his New York rape cases. The imprisoned former Hollywood producer has replaced his previous high-profile legal team for the upcoming court proceedings, while his longtime lawyers continue to pursue an appeal of his latest conviction.

Jacob Kaplan of Agnifilo Intrater will now represent Weinstein, according to The Hollywood Reporter. A court appearance scheduled for Wednesday to address pretrial matters has been postponed until next week. Prosecutors and defense attorneys are still determining how to proceed with the remaining third-degree rape charge, which previously ended in a mistrial and may now be retried.

Weinstein has spent the past four years behind bars. He was originally sentenced to 23 years in prison following his 2020 New York conviction for first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape. However, in April 2024, New York’s Court of Appeals overturned that verdict in a 4–3 decision, ruling that the trial judge had improperly allowed testimony from women whose allegations were not part of the formal charges.

A retrial held in 2025 resulted in a partial verdict. The jury convicted Weinstein of forcing oral sex on former Project Runway production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006 but acquitted him of a similar allegation involving former model Kaja Sokola. Jurors were unable to reach a decision on whether he raped actress Jessica Mann, leading to a mistrial on that count. The unresolved third-degree rape charge could now proceed to trial after Weinstein declined a plea deal that might have allowed him to serve sentences concurrently, potentially including credit for time served.

His request for a new trial based on alleged juror coercion during the 2025 proceedings was recently denied.

Kaplan—who is also representing accused killer Luigi Mangione in a state murder case—will be joined by colleagues Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos. Agnifilo likewise represents Mangione, while Geragos recently defended Sean “Diddy” Combs in his federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial.

Weinstein’s former attorneys at Aidala Bertuna & Kamins, who handled his earlier trials, will remain involved to manage the appeal of his most recent conviction. Attorney Arthur Aidala said the defense plans to challenge what he described as significant legal errors and expressed confidence that the conviction could be overturned.

In addition to his New York cases, Weinstein was convicted in Los Angeles in 2022 on charges of rape and sexual assault involving one of four women who accused him of misconduct. Although his New York conviction was vacated, he remains incarcerated at Rikers Island based on the California sentence.

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