The New York appeals court overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial (Picture: AP)
New York’s highest court delivered a stunning blow on Thursday by overturning Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction.
The decision came as the state Court of Appeals determined that the judge in the trial had prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings.
This included allowing testimony that was not relevant to the case and allowing prosecution to question Weinstein on irrelevant allegations if he were to testify on his own behalf.
Weinstein has been serving a 23-year sentence in a New York prison following his conviction on charges of criminal sex act and rape in the third degree. These charges stemmed from incidents in 2006 and 2013, respectively.
The case was a landmark moment in the #MeToo movement, a movement that began in 2017 to combat and shed light on the prevalence of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and rape culture.
The deluge of allegations made against the powerful movie mogul, 72, ignited the movement, and his conviction came as a moment of victory for survivors of sexual assault and advocates for gender equality.
Weinstein will remain in prison as he was convicted on a rape charge in LA in 2022 (Picture: Getty Images)
Now, the court’s decision paves the way for a new trial, potentially forcing Weinstein’s accusers to relive their horrific ordeals with Weinstein on the witness stand once again. The Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, will be in charge of deciding whether or not to retry Weinstein.
It was a four-three decision by the court, with the four judges who voted to overturn the ruling asserting that Weinstein was not tried exclusively on the crimes he was charged with, but instead for his patterns of behaviour over the years.
According to the New York Times, Judge Jenny Rivera, one of the four judges in the majority, wrote of the decision: ‘It is an abuse of judicial discretion to permit untested allegations of nothing more than bad behavior that destroys a defendant’s character but sheds no light on their credibility as related to the criminal charges.’
Arthur Aidala, Mr. Weinstein’s lawyer, said: ‘This is not just a victory for Mr. Weinstein but for every criminal defendant in the state of New York, and we compliment the Court of Appeals for upholding the most basic principles that a criminal defendant should have in a trial.’
Despite the overturned conviction, Weinstein will remain imprisoned as he was convicted in Los Angeles in 2022 on another rape charge, receiving a 16-year sentence.
Weinstein was one of the biggest movie producers in Hollywood prior to his convictions (Picture: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
Notably, Weinstein was acquitted in Los Angeles on charges related to one of the women who testified against him in New York.
Weinstein’s legal team argued that Judge James Burke’s rulings during the trial heavily favored the prosecution and was biased by the cultural pressure to convict Weinstein.
Weinstein’s convictions were hailed by activists and advocates as a landmark achievement, leaving many reeling as news of this reversal breaks.
The Court of Appeals’ decision, following arguments heard in February, underscores the complex legal challenges and ongoing debates surrounding cases of sexual misconduct involving powerful individuals.
This news comes on the heels of another major blow to the #MeToo movement:The U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to hear an appeal of Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction.
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