Weinstein to claim insanity in trial for sexual assaults on UI campus

An Iowa City man accused of multiple sexual assaults in November 2015 will claim a defense of insanity, court documents show.

Adam Weinstein, 34, is accused of sexually assaulting multiple women near the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and around UI's west dorms on Nov. 10, 2015.

In a notice of defenses filed Friday in district court, Weinstein's attorney, Eric Tindal, said Weinstein intends to claim the defenses of insanity, diminished responsibility and intoxication when his case goes to trial.

Weinstein's case was put on hold for several months after he was found incompetent to stand trial last year, but Sixth Judicial District Judge Paul Miller lifted the hold on the case in February after receiving reports that Weinstein is now competent for trial.

The case was set to go to trial May 23, but Tindal said it has been pushed back to July 25.

To raise the defenses in court, Weinstein's lawyer will need to present evidence ahead of trial that Weinstein had a mental deficiency such that he could not understand right from wrong at the time of the assaults, while the diminished responsibility and intoxication defenses would require Weinstein to present evidence that he suffered from a condition that kept him from forming specific intent to commit the crimes he is accused of.

To that end, Tindal has filed a motion requesting that the court appoint an expert to evaluate Weinstein and testify on his mental state at trial.

Tindal has said previously that he would consider offering insanity or diminished responsibility defenses for Weinstein.

Criminal complaints accuse Weinstein of assaulting multiple women around UI's campus in November 2015, triggering two separate Hawk Alerts from the university warning students of the assaults.

He faces charges of third-degree sexual abuse, a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison; four counts of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, an aggravated misdemeanor punishable by up to two years in prison; and three counts of third-degree harassment, a simple misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail.

Weinstein is being held at the Muscatine County Jail while he awaits trial.

Reach Stephen Gruber-Miller at 319-887-5407 or sgrubermil@press-citizen.com. Follow him on Twitter: @sgrubermiller.