Harvey Weinstein has enlisted the legal expertise of Luigi Mangione and attorneys who have represented Sean “Diddy” Combs for his upcoming third New York rape trial. This decision comes after Weinstein opted against a guilty plea, prompting a reshuffling of his legal team.
The new legal team, comprising Jacob Kaplan, Marc Agnifilo, and Teny Geragos, was confirmed in court documents filed on Tuesday. They have taken over from Weinstein’s longtime attorney, Arthur Aidala, who has shifted his focus to the ex-studio executive’s appeals and ongoing civil cases.
Kaplan, who was part of Weinstein’s original defense team in 2018, is expected to play a prominent role in the upcoming trial. This trial centers on accusations that Weinstein sexually assaulted hairstylist and actress Jessica Mann in a Manhattan hotel back in 2013.
During a hearing in January, Weinstein vehemently denied the allegations, stating that he had never assaulted anyone and expressing the toll his time behind bars had taken on him.
The trial, originally scheduled to commence on March 3, has been postponed without a new date set. Weinstein is set to appear in court on March 4 for a status update. The legal publication Law360 first reported the change in Weinstein’s legal representation.
Kaplan and Agnifilo are also representing Mangione in separate state and federal cases related to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. They have successfully had terrorism charges dismissed in the state case and prevented the imposition of the death penalty in the federal case.
Agnifilo and Geragos, who previously defended Combs in a high-profile case resulting in a mix of convictions and acquittals, are currently part of the legal team representing wealthy brothers Alon, Oren, and Tal Alexander in a sex trafficking trial in Manhattan federal court.
The trio of Kaplan, Agnifilo, and Geragos are partners at the law firm Agnifilo Intrater. A spokesperson for Weinstein, Juda Engelmayer, stated, “Harvey believes that, after two prior trials on this matter, a recalibrated outlook and strategic approach offers the most effective path forward.”
Weinstein’s previous trial ended in a split verdict, with a conviction related to one victim, Miriam Haley, and an acquittal on another charge. The jury did not reach a decision on the rape allegation involving Jessica Mann, leading to a hung jury.
Weinstein has been incarcerated since his initial conviction in 2020. He is also facing legal challenges in a separate California case.