The rotten teeth of imprisoned Harvey Weinstein have become a “dental emergency” for which he’s requesting a private dentist to repair them due to the fact that prison medics will just pull them out and leave gaping holes in his mouth.
“This situation is an emergency,” Weinstein pleaded with a judge as he was wheeled into a Los Angeles courtroom. “I will pay for the dentist … it will be one trip and one trip only.”
Lisa Lench, a judge for the LA Superior Court, mentioned that Weinstein had visited Twin Towers Correctional Facility’s medical bay twice but has not yet resolved his dental issues. Mark Werksman, Weinstein’s lawyer said that jail dentists offered him two choices: pull out the teeth with no replacement or leave them to continue decaying.
To appear “presentable” at trial, the 70-year-old — already serving 23 years for sex charges in New York — argued he should be allowed a bridge or false teeth to cover gaps where three are missing.
“I’m in pain every day. I have cavities and I can’t eat because I’m missing teeth,” Weinstein said.
Werksman said that not allowing Weinstein to have access to dental care would be a violation of his constitutional rights. He also noted that the gaping hole in the front of Weinstein’s teeth makes him look “ridiculous” and “like a caricature.”
Lench explained to Weinstein that even if he could pay for his own transportation, it would still require assistance from the sheriff’s department- making the request too complicated. Lench didn’t think Weinstein looked ridiculous but asked Werksman to write a letter requesting dental work for her approval.
The hearing was initially established to allow prosecutors to request for two Italian residents to testify via video rather than in person during the trial.
The court ruled that one of the witnesses, Lubov Smirnova, who worked for one of Weinstein’s accusers and her family, must appear in person. For medical reasons, the second witness will be allowed to appear by video.
Lench previously denied Weinstein’s request to postpone his trial because of the Nov. 18 release of the film “She Said,” which tells the story of how the sexual assault allegations against him were exposed. He argued that the jury could be influenced by watching this movie.
In 2020, Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of forcibly performing oral sex on former “Project Runway” production assistant Miriam Haleyi in 2006.
In addition, he has been sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting a hairstylist named Jessica Mann in 2013.
He was found not guilty of two charges of predatory sexual assault related to allegations he raped actress Annabella Sciorra in the mid-1990s.
The New York Highest Court has agreed to hear Harvey Weinstein’s appeal of his conviction, in which he plans to claim that he was given an unjust trial.
