A New York court has overturned the 23-year prison sentence of former film producer Harvey Weinstein for sexual abuse from 2020. The judges ruled that he did not have a fair trial at the time, reports The New York Times.
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.
It is still unclear what the ruling means for Weinstein. 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.
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 said The New York Times.
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.
Metoo movement
Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison in 2020 for sexual assault and rape. A new case was started against him in October 2022. He was again found guilty of raping and assaulting a model. Weinstein, known as an executive producer of films like Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs and the The Lord of the Ringsfilms, appealed, but that was immediately rejected. He was sentenced to sixteen years in prison.
At the end of 2017, Weinstein gained worldwide fame after dozens of women, including world-famous actresses, accused him of sexual misconduct and rape. Weinstein used his position of power in Hollywood to intimidate victims into silence.
The revelations about his years of misconduct led to the Metoo movement.
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