Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction has been overturned after New York’s highest court ruled the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against him that were not part of the case.

New York

Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction has been overturned by the highest court in New York. The court ruled that the trial judge improperly allowed testimony from women about allegations not directly related to the case. In a closely divided 4-3 decision, the court has mandated a new trial. This dramatic twist has reopened old wounds for Weinstein's accusers, signaling what some describe as an institutional failure to support survivors of male sexual violence.

The overturning of this conviction is described by legal experts as a rare judicial occurrence, expressing a significant shift away from what was perceived as a landmark verdict in the #MeToo movement's fight against sexual misconduct in America. Harvey Weinstein, who had been serving a 23-year sentence for the sexual assault of two individuals, remains in custody, however, serving a 16-year sentence in Los Angeles for separate charges of rape and sexual assault, a decision he is also appealing.

Responses to the court's decision have highlighted deep divisions, with Justice Madeline Singus expressing in a dissenting opinion that the ruling benefits men who exploit their power over women sexually. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has indicated plans to retry the case, a prospect that veteran lawyer Gloria Allred suggests could make it more challenging to convict perpetrators of violence against women in future cases. Allred, representing one of the accusers, noted the potential for a decrease in criminal prosecutions due to heightened difficulties in securing convictions.



Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction overturned

For Harvey Weinstein's accusers, old wounds ripped open after the former Hollywood movie mogul's 2020 sex crimes conviction was overturned. This today is an act of institutional betrayal and our institutions betray survivors of male sexual violence. In a 4-3 decision, New York's highest court ordered a new trial ruling that the judge should never have allowed women to testify about allegations that were not part of the case. It's so rare. Statistically speaking, cases are virtually never reversed on appeal. Weinstein had been serving a 23-year sentence for the alleged sexual assault of two people. So the court of appeals deserves a tremendous amount of credit for doing this based on the law, not based on popularity contests. In a dissenting opinion, Justice Madeline Singus said men who serially sexually exploit their power over a woman will reap the benefit of today's decision. The Weinstein case in New York was a seminal verdict. The first criminal conviction of the Me Too movement. America's reckoning with sexual misconduct. And a lot of us felt that we were on a road to seeing a different America. This moment makes it feel like we were wrong. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office indicated it will retry this case. Lawyer Gloria Allred represents one of the accusers in the New York case. It will be more difficult to convict those who victimize women and who prey on them. And because it will be more difficult to convict, I can foresee that there may be fewer criminal prosecutions. Weinstein is not a free man. Last year he was sentenced in Los Angeles to 16 years in prison for charges of rape and sexual assault. He's also appealing that decision. Jamie Strachan, CBC News, Toronto.

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Baja California

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Seoul

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Jerusalem

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Soloviove

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Rafah

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Council of the City of Sydney

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London

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Willetton

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Ensenada

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