The 72-year-old disgraced movie mogul is battling cancer and on Wednesday asked the judge to bring forward his trial from its current scheduled date of April 15.
Weinstein is serving a 16-year sentence after being convicted on rape and sexual assault charges in Los Angeles in 2022 and awaiting a retrial after his 2020 convictions in New York for first-degree criminal sexual assault and third-degree rape were overturned.
Former Hollywood movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has appeared in Manhattan Supreme Court. (AP PHOTO)
According to UsWeekly, he told Judge Curtis J. Farber: "I'm asking and begging you to switch.
"I can't hold on anymore. I'm holding on because I want justice for myself. I'm in a serious emergency situation, I'm begging for you to move your date. I need to get out of this hellhole as quickly as possible."
The former producer also told the judge that he had been given the "wrong pills" earlier in the day but managed to catch the mistake at the "right moment".
He said: "There are so many people suffering at Rikers Island. So many of the people I am with in prison are going through similar problems. They don't have the same mouthpiece I have. It remains a stain on this city."
While the judge told Weinstein that he was trying to find an earlier date for the trial, April 15 is currently the only one that works.
Weinstein's representative, Juda Engelmayer, said in a statement: "Judge Farber demonstrated exceptional responsiveness, and we deeply appreciate his thoughtful consideration of Harvey's condition and circumstances. He is literally batting for his life. We remain confident in a swift and efficient trial process and firmly believe that Harvey will be fully exonerated."
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