Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein had his rape conviction overturned by the New York Court of Appeals on Thursday.
The court released its opinion on a 4-3 ruling, overturning his conviction on sex crimes against three women.
Driving the news: The court found that the trial judge had erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes.
- Weinstein had been convicted by the trial court of sex crimes against three women.
- The decision surprised Weinstein’s team, as previous rulings had gone against him in different courts.
- Weinstein is also convicted of sex offenses in Los Angeles and sentenced to 16 years in prison in California, meaning he will be transferred to the Golden State to serve out his term.
The backstory: Weinstein was a powerful figure in the entertainment industry who was accused of abusing his power to coerce aspiring actresses into unwanted sexual encounters.
- The #MeToo movement was largely kicked off by the accusations against Weinstein, with many women coming forward with similar accounts.
- Weinstein was initially arrested in 2018 and found guilty in 2020 of criminal sexual assault and third-degree rape, but acquitted of the most serious charges.
What they’re saying: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg plans to retry the case.
- “We will do everything in our power to retry this case, and remain steadfast in our commitment to survivors of sexual assault,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
