Weinstein Appeals Sex-Crime Conviction, Requests New Trial
Source: Wall Street Journal
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyers asked a New York appeals court to grant him a new trial, arguing that the Manhattan judge who oversaw the former Hollywood producer’s conviction “woefully neglected” the obligation to ensure a fair trial.
Mr. Weinstein, now 69 years old, has maintained his innocence since a jury found him guilty in February 2020 of two felony sex crimes. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison. The conviction and sentencing were viewed as a high-profile victory for the #MeToo movement, which aims to highlight pervasive sexual harassment and misconduct, especially in the workplace.
In a 166-page appeal, Mr. Weinstein’s lawyers raised seven points, including that Manhattan Supreme Court Justice James Burke shouldn’t have permitted testimony from four women whose sexual allegations hadn’t resulted in criminal charges. Judge Burke had ruled that their allegations were admissible under New York law to help rebut Mr. Weinstein’s expected defense that all the sexual encounters were consensual.
The defense said that these women’s experiences weren’t relevant to consent in the charged incidents and “merely depicted Weinstein as loathsome.”
Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/harvey-weinstein-appeals-sex-crime-conviction-requests-new-trial/ar-BB1fk7JY?ocid=DELLDHP&li=BBnb7Kz
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