Harvey Weinstein has been in a New York prison since his conviction for forcefully engaging in inappropriate conduct with a TV and film production assistant in 2006, and committing a serious offense against an aspiring actor in 2013.
He was now acquitted on the most serious charges — two counts of predatory misconduct and first-degree serious misconduct.
Emmy-nominated host and national correspondent Simone Boyce responded to the decision on Instagram, calling it “shocking for survivors, legal and anybody who’s been following this.”
The Court of Appeals ruled the trial unfair because the judge allowed women to testify about accusations that were not part of Weinstein’s charges. Judge Jenny Rivera called for a new trial after the 4-3 decision.
However, this ruling does not affect a separate 16-year rape sentence Weinstein received in California, so he will stay in prison. The allegations against him in 2017 sparked the #MeToo movement, with many women coming forward with accusations against powerful men.
In 2020, Weinstein was found guilty in New York of sexually assaulting Miriam Haley in 2006 and raping Jessica Mann in 2013.
He was sentenced to 23 years in a case that was significant for #MeToo.
A civil trial later awarded $17 million to the dozens of other women who accused Weinstein of abuse.
Some of Weinstein’s accusers criticized the recent decision, including actress Ashley Judd, who called it “an act of institutional betrayal.”
Weinstein’s lawyer, Arthur Aidala, called the ruling “a tremendous victory for every criminal defendant in New York” and said Weinstein was eager to testify in his defense at a retrial, maintaining that any sexual activity was consensual.
If there is a retrial, it will be overseen by a different judge, as the original trial judge’s term expired in 2022.
