Major blow to #MeToo? Harvey Weinstein could go scot free as appeals court raises objection on conviction
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The disgraced Hollywood producer, Harvey Wesintein, is currently serving a 23-year sentence on rape and sexual assault charges.
In what could be a major blow to the #MeToo movement, Harvey Weinstein can go free in just a few months if a New York appeals court overturns his conviction. The disgraced Hollywood producer is currently serving a 23-year sentence on rape and sexual assault charges. This makes him ineligible for parole before he turns 87.
He is also facing additional charges in Los Angeles that carry a maximum sentence of 140 years.
Recently, five justices heard arguments on his case and expressed serious concerns about the testimony admitted at trial. Post this, Harvey Weinstein’s lawyers are feeling optimistic.
Also read: 'Sex and the City' actor Chris Noth aka Mr Big accused of rape, assault; denies allegations
Many attorneys in the state after hearing what the justices had to say also feel that it doesn’t guarantee that they will order a new trial. It is possible that they fault the previous ruling but uphold the verdict in his case on the grounds that the jury had overwhelming evidence.
Harvey Weinstein was convicted of third-degree rape of Jessica Mann and first-degree assault of Miriam Haley. He was acquitted of charges pertaining to Annabella Sciorra, who alleged he had raped her at her apartment in the early 1990s. If the appeals court ordered a new trial, prosecutors could call Haley and Mann to testify again, but not Sciorra. Salma Hayek: Harvey Weinstein would scream that he didn’t hire me to 'look ugly!’
