Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 Rape and Sexual Assault Convictions in New York Overturned
Although his New York conviction has been overturned, the disgraced Hollywood mogul will remain behind bars due to his conviction in California
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 convictions in New York State for rape and sexual assault have been overturned, according to a decision on Thursday, April 25.
The once-prominent Hollywood producer was found guilty in February 2020 of criminal sexual act in the first degree and rape in the third degree in a New York City courtroom, the New York Times reported at the time. He was subsequently sentenced to 23 years in prison.
Weinstein, now 72, was charged after being accused of forcibly performing oral sex on a woman in 2006 and raping another women in 2013, PBS reported.
The overturning of the convictions comes after Weinstein’s lawyer Arthur Aidala claimed that his client didn't receive a fair trial due to decisions of trial judge James Burke — in particular, allowing three women to testify against him whose allegations weren't included in the case, and permitting prosecutors to potentially confront him about his general behavior, The Associated Press reported. Aidala claimed that these decisions by Burke meant that Weinstein's character was on trial, rather than the allegations at hand.
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It is unclear at this time if Weinstein will face another trial in connection with these charges, but the disgraced Hollywood mogul will remain behind bars because of his 2022 convictions for sex crimes charges in California.
Related: All of the Hollywood Figures Who Have Spoken Out Against Harvey Weinstein
In December of that year, Weinstein was convicted in a separate trial of one count of forcible rape, one count of forced oral copulation and one count of sexual penetration by a foreign object in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office announced in a 2022 news release. He was sentenced to an additional 16 years in prison, the Los Angeles Times reported at the time. These charges stemmed from a 2013 assault, according to the release.
Weinstein's crimes came to light at the height of the #MeToo Movement, when sexual assault victims around the world — and Hollywood — began sharing their experiences on social media. Scores of celebrities have spoken out against Weinstein, including Salma Hayek, Lupita Nyong'o and Ryan Gosling. According to USA Today, 87 people have accused Weinstein of inappropriate behavior and/or assault.
Related: Actress Julia Ormond Sues Harvey Weinstein for Alleged 1995 Sexual Assault
Weinstein's overturned conviction is not a first. In 2021, Cosby's 2018 conviction of three counts of aggravated indecent assault was overturned and he was released from prison after serving more than two years.
“Today’s decision is a major step back in holding those accountable for acts of sexual violence," Douglas H. Wigdor — who represented eight victims at the New York criminal trial — tells PEOPLE in a statement. "Courts routinely admit evidence of other uncharged acts where they assist juries in understanding issues concerning the intent, modus operandi or scheme of the defendant. The jury was instructed on the relevance of this testimony and overturning the verdict is tragic in that it will require the victims to endure yet another trial.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
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