Vidostream | News, sport and opinion from the Vidostream's US Edition

https://vidostream.com

Harvey Weinstein Sex-Crimes Conviction Thrown Out by New York High Court

Court rules disgraced film producer didn’t receive a fair trial, orders new proceedings

im 953164?width=700

im 953164?width=700

Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 conviction for sex crimes was overturned Thursday by New York’s highest court, a decision that upends one of the leading cases of the #MeToo movement.

The court, in a divided ruling, said a trial judge committed fundamental errors, including admitting testimony that shouldn’t have been allowed.

“The remedy for these egregious errors is a new trial,” the court said.

A New York jury had found Weinstein guilty of two charges and acquitted him of others after a six-week trial. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison. 

Thursday’s ruling won’t make Weinstein a free man. In a separate case, a California jury convicted Weinstein of sex crimes in 2022. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Neither a Weinstein representative nor the Manhattan district attorney’s office responded to requests for comment.

The Oscar-winning producer’s empire fell when dozens of women, including Hollywood actresses, came forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct. The allegations sparked a movement that placed a spotlight on pervasive sexual harassment in many industries.

Writing for a 4-to-3 majority Thursday, Judge Jenny Rivera said the trial court improperly allowed testimony from women who spoke about alleged past acts by Weinstein that weren’t charged in the case. 

“Under our system of justice, the accused has a right to be held to account only for the crime charged and, thus, allegations of prior bad acts may not be admitted against them for the sole purpose of establishing their propensity for criminality,” Rivera wrote.

Dissenting judges said the ruling endangered decades of progress in sex-crimes cases.

“With today’s decision, this Court continues to thwart the steady gains survivors of sexual violence have fought for in our criminal justice system,” Judge Madeline Singas wrote.

Updates to follow as news develops

Author: Editors Desk, Erin Mulvaney

Source: WSJ:

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse, you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy.
You did not use the site, Click here to remain logged. Timeout: 60 second