Disgraced Hollywood TV producer Eric Weinberg was pictured in prison garb for an appearance in front of a Los Angeles courthouse on Wednesday as he prepares to appear in court over allegations that he has allowed women into his home Lured Los Feliz only to sexually abuse her.
Exclusive photos captured by show the 62-year-old – whose credits include working on shows like Scrubs, Politically Incorrect with Maher and Californication – handcuffed in front of LA Superior Court after he was denied bail in October would.
Weinberg — who allegedly targeted young women in public places under the guise of being a photographer — then pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting five women between 2014 and 2019 whom prosecutors allege he had with them lured to their homes by job offers.
The 62-year-old showrunner, who wrote 11 episodes in the first six seasons of Scrubs, wore an orange jail jumpsuit for his final appearance before going to court and is scheduled to go back to court early next year.
His alleged crimes include 18 counts of rape, oral copulation, forcible sexual penetration, sexual harassment by restraint, false imprisonment by the use of force, and attempted forcible penetration with a foreign object.
Disgraced Hollywood TV producer Eric Weinberg was pictured in prison garb for an appearance in front of a Los Angeles courthouse on Wednesday as he prepares to appear in court over allegations that he has allowed women into his home Lured Los Feliz only to sexually abuse her
Exclusive photos captured by show the 62-year-old – whose credits include working on shows like Scrubs, Politically Incorrect with Maher and Californication – handcuffed in front of LA Superior Court after he was denied bail in October would
Photos show a Los Angeles County deputy sheriff leading Weinberg – who was arrested in July and again in October as police investigated the women’s allegations – and remanding the reluctant producer to court Wednesday morning.
At the pretrial hearing, the producer appeared before Judge Kerry L. White, who ended the case by declaring that Weinberg was being held pending a scheduled court appearance in January to begin preparations for his trial.
One of the most prominent producers in television, Weinberg produced several television shows throughout his career, including Scrubs and American Dad.
His first arrest in the summer sent shockwaves through the industry when LA prosecutors revealed some of the charges against him.
In 2014, according to the bureau, Weinberg told two different women that he was a photographer, invited them to his home, and sexually assaulted them.
The 62-year-old showrunner, who wrote 11 episodes in the first six seasons of Scrubs, wore an orange jail jumpsuit for his final appearance before going to court and is scheduled to go back to court early next year
Weinberg — who allegedly targeted young women in public places under the guise of being a photographer — then pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting five women between 2014 and 2019, whom prosecutors allege he offered them with job offers lured himself home
At the pretrial hearing, the producer appeared before Judge Kerry L. White, who ended the case by declaring that Weinberg was being held pending a scheduled court appearance in January to begin preparations for his trial
The district attorney said Weinberg repeated the trick on another woman in 2017. He was also accused of sexually assaulting two women in 2018 and 2019, according to the bureau’s criminal complaint.
Detectives at the time added that other unidentified victims were likely and that the producer’s illegal behavior could date back to the early 1990s.
Weinberg’s bail was subsequently set at a staggering $3.5 million, which he promptly paid and was allowed back on the streets — during which time the prosecutor’s office continued to build its case against the once-respected television writer.
His alleged crimes include 18 counts of rape, oral copulation, forcible sexual penetration, sexual harassment by restraint, false imprisonment by the use of force, and attempted forcible penetration with a foreign object
Detectives add that in addition to the five women who brought the case, other unidentified victims are likely and that the producer’s illegal behavior could date back to the early 1990s
The prosecutor’s office further disclosed in a press release that prior to this arrest, Weinberg “had been investigated twice by the LAPD on allegations of sexual assault, accounting records and testimony from the LAPD show.” At least one woman warned about the producer’s alleged predatory behavior in a Facebook group.
Officials at the time urged anyone with relevant information about their case to come forward – which has reportedly been followed by dozens of possible victims, with each incident being reviewed for possible charges.
Prosecutors said Weinberg had previously been investigated several times by the city’s police department, but his office lacked the evidence necessary to handle a case
Weinberg was arrested again about three months later — about a week after District Attorney George Gascón announced the 18 completed indictments against him.
Gascón, who is a notorious criminal, noted at the time how the producer’s reign of terror probably went unchecked for more than a decade, and lamented how Weinberg was able to use the vast fortune he had amassed during that time to hit the road to stay while officers collected evidence for trial.
Weinberg posted $5 million bail at the time and was released again, but was denied bail at a court date later in the month — and remained jailed pending Wednesday’s trial.
“In this particular case, we have a man who believed he could do great harm and still remain untouchable, and he did for many years,” Gascón said, adding, “As we expected, he capitalized on his incredible wealth to get off. ‘
The prosecutor added that Weinberg had been investigated multiple times by the city’s police department, but his office lacked the evidence necessary to pursue a case.
Now, after receiving dozens of tips via a hotline set up to assist the case, prosecutors are confident they have the means to pursue a case, backed by the harrowing accounts of the five unnamed women.
One of those victims was a 22-year-old he met in a coffee shop in 2014. She said he lured her to his house and then forced her to perform oral sex on him, pinning her down and choking her ‘so hard I thought I was going to pass out.’
The woman further claimed that Weinberg grabbed her while she was being photographed, forced her to perform oral sex, choked her and then raped her, according to court documents filed by Gascon’s office.
Court records showed that three of Weinberg’s other accusers testified against him during the producer’s 2020 divorce.
An LAPD spokesman described how Weinberg, who was nominated for five Emmy Awards — two for his work on Scrubs, three for being part of Bill Maher’s old ABC talk show Politically Incorrect — targeted women in public places before he engaged himself in his predatory practices.
“Weinberg was a Hollywood producer/writer and appears to have targeted women in grocery stores, cafes and other public places,” the department said.
He “talked to women in their 20s and 30s under the pretense of being a photographer and organized photo shoots with them.
“Once the women were in his apartment, he sexually assaulted them during the photo shoot.”
Weinberg has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him as his attorneys continued to plead for his third release until his next court appearance.
In July, while he was out on bail, photographed a scrawny-looking vineyard dumping rubbish at the same posh residence where the producer allegedly carried out the attacks. His trial is set to continue in the coming months.
If convicted, Weinberg faces more than 100 years in prison. Between 2000 and 2006 he co-executive produced nearly 100 episodes of Scrubs. He also produced and wrote credits for several other hit shows, including Anger Management, Men at Work, and Veronica’s Closet.