Harvey Weinstein’s bail was hiked Wednesday from $1 million to $5 million, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office announced Wednesday. The bail hike comes after accusations surfaced that Weinstein may have tampered with his electronic ankle bracelet tracking monitor, according to a report in the Associated Press.
Judge James Burke, however, denied a request from the prosecution saying that Weinstein should be jailed.
Weinstein arrived in court Wednesday using the aid of a walker, and according to the AP, his lawyer Donna Rotunno said he will undergo back surgery on Thursday. Judge Burke further warned that the court may revoke his bail and issue a warrant for his arrest should he experience any additional medical problems.
“If you have any further medical issues, the court will not be terribly understanding,” Burke said, according to the AP.
The disgraced movie mogul is scheduled to appear in court in New York City and face trial beginning on Jan. 6 for charges of rape and sexual assault.
Prosecutor Joan Illuzzi said that Weinstein repeatedly and purposefully left a part of his tracking device at home, making his whereabouts unknown for extended periods at a time, but his defense said that the issues were the results of “technical glitches,” and the tracking device appears to be working normally as of his appearance in court.
According to the DA’s office, the $5 million cash bail, or $50 million security bond is partially secured at 10%, or $2 million insurance company bond, each with a 72-hour surety. The non-monetary conditions of no passport, no travel outside of the U.S., and that Weinstein would be required to notify the court if he intends to travel outside of New York or Connecticut, including his intended destination, means of travel, and lodging.
Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to both charges he faces, including that he raped a woman in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 and that he performed a forcible sex act on a different woman in 2006. He maintains that any sexual activity was consensual, and had remained free on the current bail amount of $1 million.
In October, Weinstein was spotted at an invite-only event in New York hosted by Actor’s Hour at the Downtime Bar in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.