Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction overturned by New York Court of Appeals

The New York Court of Appeals on Thursday overturned the 2020 rape and sexual assault conviction of former Hollywood star producer Harvey Weinstein and ordered a new trial.

The Court of Appeal found that certain procedural errors were committed during the original trial, which represented a major victory for the MeToo movement. Harvey Weinstein was also sentenced to prison following a separate trial that took place in Los Angeles, AFP informs.

During the trial in New York, a series of testimonies relating to acts other than those committed against the plaintiffs were “erroneously” admitted in court, according to one of the judges on the Court of Appeals. That testimony “painted an extremely prejudicial” of Harvey Weinstein.

“The solution to these shocking errors is a new trial,” the same judge continued.

Harvey Weinstein, aged 72, was sentenced to 23 years in prison in New York in 2020 for rape and sexual assault.

Then, in 2023, the former film producer was also sentenced to 16 years in prison in Los Angeles for similar acts.

The MeToo movement was sparked by revelations about the sexual predatory behavior of Harvey Weinstein, whose influence on the Hollywood industry was once immense.

Harvey Weinstein was the co-founder of the Miramax film studio, which released many successful films over the years, such as “Shakespeare in Love” and “Pulp Fiction”. The studio he later founded and which bears his name declared bankruptcy in March 2018.