By New York- The New York Court of Appeals has overturned the sex crimes conviction against Harvey Weinstein, the once-powerful Hollywood producer whose downfall became a symbol of the #MeToo movement. The court, in a 4-3 decision, has ordered a new trial for Weinstein.
In the ruling, written by Judge Jenny Rivera, the court concluded that the trial court had erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against individuals other than the complainants of the underlying crimes.
The court stated that this testimony served no material non-propensity purpose, and that the error was compounded when the court ruled that Weinstein, who had no criminal history, could be cross-examined about these allegations and numerous other allegations of misconduct that portrayed him in a highly prejudicial light.
The court found that the combined effect of these errors was not harmless, leading to the decision to overturn Weinstein’s conviction and order a new trial.
Despite this ruling, Weinstein remains imprisoned, as he was sentenced last year in Los Angeles to 16 years for charges of rape and sexual assault.
In the 2020 New York trial, Weinstein was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape based on the testimony of Miriam Haley and Jessica Mann.
The trial also featured testimony from three other women as “prior bad acts” witnesses, as prosecutors sought to establish a pattern of abuse by Weinstein.
CNN has reached out to Weinstein’s attorney, Arthur Aidala, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for comment on the court’s decision.
The overturning of Weinstein’s New York conviction marks a significant development in the high-profile case that helped spark the global #MeToo movement against sexual harassment and assault.
Culled from CNN
