Harvey Weinstein extradition hearing adjourned for second time

Convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein will not be extradited to Los Angeles to face new sex crime charges anytime soon after his latest hearing was adjourned until April.

The producer is currently serving a 23-year sentence in New York, but prosecutors in Los Angeles are seeking his transferral to stand trial for 11 counts of rape, sexual battery, and other counts relating to allegations made by five women from incidents which reportedly occurred in California over a decade ago.

If convicted, he faces 140 years to life in prison.

However, NBC New York has reported that Weinstein will be remaining in his cell for another few months, after defence attorneys and Los Angeles prosecutors agreed to postpone his extradition as COVID-19 cases continue to spike across the country.

"The issues pertaining to the transportation of someone from New York to California and specifically with respect to Mr. Weinstein, given his very serious health conditions, remain the same," his attorney Norm Effman told the court during Friday's video hearing.

The judge noted the reasons for a delay and adjourned the case for the second time until the spring, reports the New York Post.

Weinstein has battled a string of health issues while behind bars, including contracting what was thought to be the coronavirus in March, while he has struggled with heart problems, a spine condition, and high blood pressure, too. He was also placed in isolation last month after falling ill with a 101 degree Fahrenheit (38.3 degree Celsius) temperature.