New York’s Court of Appeals ruled 4-3 to overturn Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, a setback for the #MeToo movement, which has aimed to hold powerful figures accountable for sexual misconduct, Associated Press reports.
The court found that the trial judge unfairly allowed testimony of uncharged prior sexual acts and permitted questions about Weinstein’s “bad behavior” if he had testified. This was deemed highly prejudicial and an abuse of judicial discretion. The court’s decision prompted plans for a retrial, with the Manhattan district attorney’s office stating its intention to pursue another trial.
Weinstein, 72, is currently serving time in a Los Angeles prison for another rape conviction and will remain incarcerated. However, his legal team sees the ruling as a victory for defendants’ rights and plans to appeal his Los Angeles conviction based on similar grounds.
