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Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction overturned, victims could see new trial

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The New York Court of Appeals overturned Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction from 2020 on Thursday, April 25. The decision means there could be a new trial and women who identified as victims of Weinstein could have to testify all over again.

Weinstein has been serving a 23-year sentence convicted of rape and criminal sexual acts.

The trial gained notoriety after The New York Times released a investigation into the movie producer that resulted in a list of more than 100 victims and detailed sexual abuse allegations that sparked the #MeToo movement.

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The jury was convinced that Weinstein was guilty. However, the appeals court ruled 4-3 that jurors could have been wrongfully influenced by testimony against Weinstein from women who were not part of the case.

The court also said the judge had allowed for allegations unrelated to the charges in cross examination. The appeals court ruled Weinstein was seen in a “highly prejudicial light.”

“This court has continued a disturbing trend of overturning juries’ guilty verdicts in cases involving sexual violence,” Judge Madeline Singas said in one of the court’s dissenting opinions.

A spokesperson for Weinstein said they were “happily surprised” and “thrilled with the court’s decision.”

Even though Weinstein’s conviction was been overturned, the 72-year-old is not a free man. He was also convicted in California for sex offenses in 2022 where he was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Thursday’s decision means he’ll be transferred to the custody of prison authorities in California while Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg weighs whether to try the case again in a New York courtroom.

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[KARAH RUCKER]

AN APPEALS COURT IN NEW YORK HAS **OVERTURNED HARVEY WEINSTEIN’S RAPE CONVICTION FROM 2020 –

WHICH MEANS THERE COULD BE A NEW TRIAL AND WOMEN WHO SAY THEY WERE VICTIMS OF WEINSTEIN – COULD HAVE TO TESTIFY ALL OVER AGAIN.

IT’S A RULING THAT HAS LEFT EVEN WEINSTEIN’S TEAM “SURPRISED.”

WEINSTEIN HAS BEEN SERVING A 23-YEAR SENTENCE –

CONVICTED OF RAPE AND CRIMINAL SEXUAL ACTS.

IT’S A TRIAL WITH NOTORIETY –

A MOVIE EVEN BEING MADE ABOUT THE NEW YORK TIMES’ BOMBSHELL INVESTIGATION INTO THE MOVIE PRODUCER – COMPILING A LIST OF MORE THAN 100 VICTIMS AND DETAILED SEXUAL ABUSE ALLEGATIONS THAT WOULD SPARK THE “ME TOO” MOVEMENT.

THE JURY –

WAS CONVINCED.

BUT THE APPEALS COURT RULED 4 TO 3 –

THAT JURORS COULD’VE BEEN WRONGFULLY INFLUENCED BY WOMEN WHO TESTIFIED AGAINST WEINSTEIN –

WHO WERE NOT PART OF THE CASE.

AND THE COURT SAYS THE JUDGE HAD ALLOWED FOR ALLEGATIONS UNRELATED TO THE CHARGES IN CROSS EXAMINATION.

THE APPEALS COURT RULING WEINSTEIN WAS SEEN IN A “HIGHLY PREJUDICIAL LIGHT.”

IN ONE OF THE COURT’S DISSENTING OPINIONS –

A JUDGE SAYS “THIS COURT HAS CONTINUED A DISTURBING TREND OF OVERTURNING JURIES’ GUILTY VERDICTS IN CASES INVOLVING SEXUAL VIOLENCE.”

A SPOKESPERSON FOR WEINSTEIN SAID THEY WERE “HAPPILY SURPRISED” AND “THRILLED WITH THE COURT’S DECISION.”

EVEN THOUGH WEINSTEIN’S CONVICTION HAS BEEN OVERTURNED –

DOESN’T MEAN THE 72 YEAR OLD IS A FREE MAN.

HE WAS ALSO CONVICTED IN CALIFORNIA FOR SEX OFFENSES IN 2022 –

WHERE HE WAS SENTENCED TO 16 YEARS IN PRISON.

THE NEW YORK APPEALS COURT DECISION DOES MEAN HE’LL BE TRANSFERRED TO THE CUSTODY OF PRISON AUTHORITIES IN CALIFORNIA –

WHILE MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY ALVIN BRAGG – 

WEIGHS WHETHER TO RE-TRY THE CASE IN A NEW YORK COURTROOM.