Harvey Weinstein's 2020 conviction for sex crimes in New York has been overturned by the state's Court of Appeals. In a 4-3 decision, the court ruled that the trial judge made 'egregious' errors by allowing testimony from women whose allegations were not part of the original charges.
The court found that the admission of 'prior bad acts' testimony prejudiced Weinstein, stating he was judged on 'irrelevant, prejudicial, and untested allegations.' The ruling orders a new trial, with prosecutors vowing to retry the case.
Dissenting judges criticised the decision, with Judge Madeline Singas accusing the majority of 'whitewashing the facts' and perpetuating 'outdated notions of sexual violence.' Judge Anthony Cannataro called it an 'unfortunate step backwards.'
Weinstein, who was sentenced to 23 years in New York, will remain imprisoned due to a separate 2022 rape conviction in Los Angeles, where he received a 16-year sentence. His accusers have expressed disappointment, with actor Ashley Judd stating, 'We still live in our truth.'
The Manhattan District Attorney's office confirmed it will 'do everything in our power to retry this case,' while advocacy groups condemned the ruling as 'profoundly unjust.'
