Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction overturned by New York appeals court docket

Harvey Weinstein‘s 2020 rape conviction was overturned Thursday in New York, making manner for a brand new trial.

The state Courtroom of Appeals discovered that the choose within the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the previous movie mogul with improper rulings, together with a call to let girls testify about allegations that weren’t a part of the case.

“We conclude that the trial court erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes because that testimony served no material non-propensity purpose,” the court docket’s 4-3 resolution stated. 

“The court compounded that error when it ruled that defendant, who had no criminal history, could be cross examined about those allegations as well as numerous allegations of misconduct that portrayed defendant in a highly prejudicial light,” it stated.

The court docket known as the errors “egregious” and ordered a brand new trial, which means his accusers may once more be known as to testify.

Decide Madeline Singas, within the dissenting opinion, accused the vast majority of “whitewashing the facts to conform to a he-said/she-said narrative” and failing to acknowledge that the jury was allowed to think about Weinstein’s previous assaults.

“This Court has continued a disturbing trend of overturning juries’ guilty verdicts in cases involving sexual violence,” Singas wrote.

Juda Engelmayer, a spokesperson for Weinstein, stated they’re “thrilled with the court’s decision.”

“We obviously have a long road ahead of us in California,” Engelmayer stated in an announcement to NBC Information.

Weinstein, 72, has been serving a 23-year sentence in a New York jail following his conviction on prices of legal intercourse act for forcibly performing oral intercourse on a TV and movie manufacturing assistant in 2006 and rape within the third diploma for an assault on an aspiring actor in 2013.

The fees got here to gentle in 2017 following investigative studies revealed by The New York Times and The New Yorker. His sample of sexual abuse and lack of accountability helped gas the #MeToo Movement.

Weinstein additionally confronted prices in Los Angeles and was convicted in 2022 of rape and sentenced to 16 years in prison. He was acquitted of a count of sexual battery in that case.

This can be a creating story. Please examine again for updates.