New York's top court allows Harvey Weinstein to appeal rape conviction
Harvey Weinstein
The highest court in New York state let Harvey Weinstein to appeal his charges of rape and sexual assault on Wednesday (August 24), giving Weinstein a slim chance of receiving a new trial. According to a letter dated Monday and submitted to Weinstein's attorneys, Chief Judge Janet DiFiore "approved leave to appeal" on August 19.
The letter made no mention of the possible justifications for the decision, and it has no influence on the upcoming rape allegations against him in California.
The court can uphold Weinstein's conviction or mandate a new trial after considering the arguments made by his attorneys and the prosecution. A lower appeals court confirmed the verdict last June, rejecting claims that the Manhattan trial judge committed multiple mistakes that compromised the proceedings.
The threshold for granting a new trial is high, but after speaking with his client in prison, Weinstein was "relieved by this decision," according to one of his attorneys, Arthur Aidala.
The client has maintained his innocence, according to Aidala, and he is hoping that the court will overturn his conviction.
The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, which allege sexual abuse, made Weinstein, 70, a Hollywood power broker and producer of "Pulp Fiction," "Shakespeare in Love," and "Gangs of New York," one of their most prominent targets.
A Manhattan jury held Weinstein responsible for raping a former aspiringactress and sexually harassing a production assistant in February 2020. A judge gave him a 23-year prison term.
After being extradited to California this year, Weinstein is currently incarcerated there as he awaits his trial on 11 allegations of misbehaviour toward five women between 2004 and 2013. In Los Angeles, Weinstein has entered a not-guilty plea to allegations of rape and sexual abuse.
(With inputs from agencies)
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