ANP Productions | Source: ANP
Thursday April 25, 2024 at 3:24 PM
A New York court has overturned former film producer Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 sexual assault conviction. The judges ruled that he did not have a fair trial at the time, The New York Times reported.
Weinstein has been accused of sexual misconduct by many women and was sentenced to 23 years in prison in New York four years ago. He was found guilty of abusing two victims. His prosecution is seen as a milestone for the #MeToo movement.
The highest court of appeals in New York now rules that the judge in the case made a serious error at the time. Prosecutors had been allowed to bring several women to testify accusing Weinstein of misconduct for which he was not prosecuted at the time. That would have prevented a fair trial. The film producer would in fact also have been tried for other behavior from his past, the judges ruled.
Ashley Judd
The former film producer’s lawyer responded with satisfaction to the ruling. Arthur Aidala called it “a victory not just for Mr. Weinstein, but for every suspect in a criminal case in New York.” Weinstein’s response is not yet known. “This happened ten minutes ago, he doesn’t know anything yet,” Aidala told the newspaper.
One of the women who came forward with accusations against Weinstein, actress Ashley Judd, reacted with dismay. She called the court’s decision unfair to victims of the Hollywood producer.
Rape case
It is still unclear what the ruling means for Weinstein, who is now in his seventies and is in prison in New York state. He was also later sentenced to 16 years in prison in a rape case in California. Prosecutors in New York may decide to retry the case.
