Alan Dershowitz joins Harvey Weinstein’s defense team

NEW YORK – Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz has joined Harvey Weinstein’s legal team.

The disgraced film producer tapped Dershowitz as a consultant in a case involving his lawsuit against The Weinstein Company.

Weinstein is suing the company he once led to obtain emails sent before he was fired in October that he claims are exculpatory.

“If Mr. Weinstein were ever to be charged with a crime, he would of course have a constitutional right to all of his emails and other exculpatory materials, under Brady, Giglio and their progeny,” Dershowitz said in a declaration submitted by Weinstein’s lawyers, Deadline Hollywood reported.

“I believe that his lawyer also has a constitutional right to these materials while there are ongoing criminal investigations in order to present prosecutors with exculpatory information that could persuade them not to bring charges,” Dershowitz added.

“Moreover, basic fairness dictates that Mr. Brafman be given exculpatory information now rather than later, since such information could prevent false charges from being filed,” he said.

Dershowitz argues that the emails have “no legitimate commercial value” to The Weinstein Company but could help Weinstein and his attorney, Benjamin Brafman “achieve justice.”

The NYPD and UK police are investigating Weinstein after dozens of women accused him of sexual assault and harassment, leading to his ouster from his own company.

Dershowitz is known for his role in overturning the conviction of Claus von Bulow for the attempted murder of his wife in 1984, and as the appellate adviser for the defense in the O. J. Simpson murder trial in 1995.