Marisa Tomei, Amber Tamblyn Attend Harvey Weinstein Court Hearing

As Harvey Weinstein headed back to court for a pretrial hearing on Thursday, a group of actresses and activists also gathered at New York Supreme Court wearing Time’s Up T-shirts.

Those attending the hearing included actresses Marisa Tomei, Amber Tamblyn and Kathy Najimy as well as Time’s Up president Lisa Borders. “This morning we showed up in Criminal court to witness Harvey Weinstein and his case not be dismissed. It is a small victory,” wrote Tamblyn in a tweet. 

Tamblyn added, “But there’s a long way to go. We’ll be there again on March 7th and look forward to seeing him prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

At the hearing, Weinstein attorney Benjamin Brafman’s motion to dismiss five counts of rape and sexual assault was rejected by Judge James Burke. The Weinstein defense team’s strategy, in part, has been to try to discredit accusers by showing email correspondence with the disgraced mogul. 

In Burke’s written decision, the judge said, “There is no basis for the defendant’s claim of prosecutorial or law enforcement misconduct in the proceedings.”

The judge’s decision also read, “The defendant may explore any issues of witness credibility at a trial should such witnesses testify.” The next hearing is set for March 7. 

Time’s Up was formed at the beginning of this year in response to the #MeToo reckoning of sexual harassment stories that were shared following the multiple claims of assault and harassment leveled at Weinstein in October 2017. 

Separately, a Time’s Up legal defense fund offers legal services to survivors of sexual harassment and assault. The defense fund raised more than $22 million in its first year from more than 21,000 contributors. 

“Today, we bore witness to the first steps toward justice in a New York courtroom. Together we remain in solidarity with survivors everywhere,” read a group statement from Time’s Up on Thursday’s hearing.

The organization added, “We are relieved that Harvey Weinstein failed in his efforts to avoid accountability for his crimes. We look forward to seeing justice served and seeing Harvey Weinstein prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

This morning we showed up in Criminal court to witness Harvey Weinstein and his case not be dismissed. It is a small victory. But there’s a long way to go. We’ll be there again on March 7th and look forward to seeing him prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. #TIMESUP pic.twitter.com/NDk5q9NMc6

— Amber Tamblyn (@ambertamblyn) December 20, 2018