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Judge allows sex-trafficking claim in suit against Weinstein

Apr 18, 2019 | 4:27 PM

NEW YORK — A New York judge has agreed to let a class-action lawsuit proceed with a sex-trafficking claim against disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein.

U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein eliminated all of the other claims.

The lawsuit was first filed in late 2017 and had 10 plaintiffs alleging Weinstein harassed and assaulted them from 1993 to 2011. It is one of several against Weinstein. He is also set to stand trial on criminal sexual assault charges.

Weinstein has denied the allegations.

Weinstein’s lawyers argued it wasn’t fair to let aspiring actresses equate Hollywood’s casting couch with a brothel.

But Hellerstein wrote that the sex-trafficking law is appropriate if victims are enticed into sexual acts with false promises of career advancement.

Hellerstein eliminated all defendants but Weinstein and reduced the claims from 18 to one.

The Associated Press

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