Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction overturned

Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction has been overturned by New York’s top court, on the basis that he did not receive a fair trial. The New York Court of Appeals on the conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced Weinstein with “egregious” improper rulings. This includes a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.

“We conclude that the trial court erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes,” the court’s 4-3 decision said. “The remedy for these egregious errors is a new trial.”

The state Court of Appeals ruling reopens a painful chapter in America’s reckoning with sexual misconduct by powerful figures — a movement that began in 2017 with a flood of allegations against Weinstein. A new trial would mean that his accusers could again be forced to relive their traumas on the witness stand.

Despite the decision to overturn the ruling in New York, 72-year-old 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.