Earlier in the day, Weinstein's lawyer Ben Brafman released a statement stating that his client wold not be testifying in front of the grand jury - the panel convened by the Manhattan District Attorney to decide whether he would be indicted. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said the indictment, which follows Weinstein being charged with the felonies on Friday, "brings the defendant another step closer to accountability for the crimes of violence with which he is now charged." The 66-year-old former movie mogul has consistently denied all allegations of nonconsensual sex. The announcement came hours after Weinstein's lawyers said he'd decline to testify before the grand jury because there wasn't enough time to prepare him and "political pressure" made an indictment unavoidable. "The identities of the accusers and the specific charges were provided to Mr. Weinstein last Friday on the eve of the Memorial Day Weekend and a deadline for his appearance set for Wednesday (at) 2 p.m.

"Our request for a postponement of his appearance before the Grand Jury was denied. "Finally, Mr. Weinstein's attorneys noted that regardless of how compelling Mr. Weinstein's personal testimony might be, an indictment was inevitable due to the unfair political pressure being placed on Cy Vance to secure a conviction of Mr. Weinstein," the statement said, referring to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr.

Weinstein's lawyer, Ben Brafman, issued a statement to CBS News saying the indictment is a "merely a formal accusation." Weinstein turned himself in to New York police on Friday and was charged with felony sex crimes, including first- and third-degree rape and a first-degree criminal sex act, stemming from encounters in New York with two women, including one who was unidentified.
Harvey Weinstein is indicted for rape charges by a New York City grand jury.