A New York court has overturned Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction from 2020, ruling that the judge who oversaw the conviction unfairly allowed the testimony of women whose allegations were not part of the case.
The 4-3 decision from the New York Court of Appeals called the case “highly prejudicial” against Weinstein.
Back in 2020, the disgraced Hollywood producer was convicted of a first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has said it plans to retry the 2020 case in the wake of the successful appeal.
In a dissenting opinion, Judge Madeline Singas wrote that the majority opinion “perpetuates outdated notions of sexual violence and allows predators to escape accountability.”
Thursday’s ruling to overturn Weinstein’s 2020 conviction comes more than six years after allegations against him were first brought to light in reports from The New York Times and The New Yorker.
Weinstein has also been convicted of another rape in Los Angeles in 2022. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison for this conviction.
Source: New York court overturns Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction