A New York appeals court reversed Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction

A New York appeals court reversed Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction. Weinstein, 72, was found guilty of criminal sex act and is currently serving a 23-year sentence in a New York prison.

On Thursday in New York, the 2020 rape conviction of Harvey Weinstein was reversed, paving the way for a new trial.

The state Court of Appeals determined that the judge in the historic #MeToo trial unfairly favored the former movie mogul by making incorrect decisions, such as permitting women to testify regarding claims that were unrelated to the case.

In a 4-3 ruling, the court stated, “We conclude that the trial court erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes because that testimony served no material non-propensity purpose.”

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“The court further exacerbated that mistake by deciding that the defendant, who lacked a criminal record, could be cross-examined regarding those accusations in addition to multiple misconduct allegations that severely damaged the defendant’s reputation,” the statement read.

A fresh trial is the solution, according to Judge Jenny Rivera, who referred to the mistakes as “egregious.” Weinstein’s accusers might be asked to testify once more.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said in a statement that it “will do everything in our power to retry this case, and remain steadfast in our commitment to survivors of sexual assault.”

Eight Weinstein victims have been represented by Douglas H. Wigdor, an attorney, who criticized the ruling, calling it “a major step back in holding those accountable for acts of sexual violence.”

“Courts routinely admit evidence of other uncharged acts where they assist juries in understanding issues concerning the intent, modus operandi or scheme of the defendant,” he stated in a press release.

Reversing the verdict, according to Wigdor, would be “tragic in that it will require the victims to endure yet another trial.”

The majority, according to Judge Madeline Singas’ dissenting opinion, was accused of “whitewashing the facts to conform to a he-said/she-said narrative” and neglecting to acknowledge that the jury was permitted to take Weinstein’s prior assaults into account.

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