Harvey Weinstein: New York rape conviction overturned

The fallen Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein (72) has achieved a significant legal victory. Weinstein, who is considered one of the triggers of the MeToo movement, was sentenced to 23 years in prison in New York in 2020. The court found it proven that Weinstein had sexually assaulted two women. But this ruling was overturned by New York’s highest court on April 25, 2024, among other things. However, this does not make Weinstein a free man.

Procedural errors lead to the judgment being overturned

A majority of the appeals judges found it problematic in the previous trial against Weinstein that women testified in court about allegations that were not part of the indictment. As a result, the former producer, who was considered one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, was convicted not only of the crimes he was accused of, but also of much of his previous behavior.

“It is an abuse of judicial discretion to allow untested allegations that amount to nothing more than bad conduct that destroys a defendant’s character but does not shed light on his credibility on the criminal charges,” one of the appeal judges wrote, according to the ” New York Times” as justification.

Harvey Weinstein will not be released

Weinstein is currently incarcerated in a prison in New York state. However, now that the verdict has been overturned, the 72-year-old will not automatically be released. For one thing, prosecutors in New York have the opportunity to try him again. This must now be decided by the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg (50), who is currently in the middle of proceedings against former President Donald Trump (77).

In addition, Weinstein was sentenced to 16 years in prison in the state of California in 2022 after he was convicted of raping a woman in a hotel in Beverly Hills.