Top New York court overturns Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction
Al Jazeera
Defence and prosecution prepare for retrial of the once-powerful movie producer in a case that was a landmark for the #MeToo movement.
New York’s highest court has overturned disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 conviction for rape and sexual assault, highlighting the challenges of holding powerful men to account.
The Court of Appeals found on Thursday that the landmark trial was unfair because the judge allowed women whose accusations were not part of the charges Weinstein faced to give evidence in court.
Judge Jenny Rivera called for a new trial following the 4-3 decision.
The ruling does not affect a separate 16-year rape sentence handed down in California, so the 72-year-old will remain behind bars.
Bombshell allegations against the Oscar-winning producer broke into the open in 2017 and led to a flood of allegations against other powerful men as women fought back against sexual violence in what became known as the #MeToo movement.
