Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction upheld by appeals court
Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction upheld by appeals court
MICHAEL R. SISAK
Thu, June 2, 2022, 8:20 AM·5 min read
In this article:
Harvey WeinsteinAmerican film producer
Annabella SciorraAmerican actress
Gloria AllredLawyer
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York appeals court on Thursday upheld Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction and 23-year prison sentence, rejecting the former movie mogul’s claim that the judge at his landmark #MeToo trial unfairly allowed women to testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
The ruling by a five-judge panel in the state’s intermediate appeals court affirmed one of the highest-profile verdicts to date in America’s reckoning with sexual misconduct by powerful figures — an era that began with a flood of allegations against Weinstein.
Weinstein’s publicist, Juda Engelmayer, said he is reviewing his options and will seek to appeal the decision to the state’s highest court, the Court of Appeals.
“We are disappointed, but not surprised,” Engelmayer said.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who took office in January while Weinstein’s appeal was pending, said in a statement that prosecutors were “gratified by today’s decision, which upholds a monumental conviction that changed the way prosecutors and courts approach complex prosecutions of sexual predators.”
Weinstein, 70, was convicted in New York in February 2020 of forcibly performing oral sex on a TV and film production assistant, Mimi Haley, in 2006 and raping an aspiring actress in 2013. He was acquitted of first-degree rape and two counts of predatory sexual assault stemming from actor Annabella Sciorra’s allegations of a mid-1990s rape.
The Associated Press does not generally identify people alleging sexual assault unless they consent to be named; Sciorra has spoken publicly about her allegations, and Haley has agreed to be named.
Weinstein is jailed in California, where he was extradited last year and is awaiting trial on charges he assaulted five women in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills from 2004 to 2013.
Lawyer Gloria Allred, who represents Haley, Sciorra and another witness, said that she was “thrilled” Weinstein’s conviction was upheld and that her clients’ “many sacrifices for the cause of justice” were not in vain.Story continues
TRENDING
National Spell Bee champion decided by blazing fast, first-ever spell-offYahoo TV·1 min read
Matthew Morrison reads message that he says he sent dancer before leaving ‘So You Think You Can Dance’: ‘Gossip is toxic’Yahoo TV·2 min read
Seth MacFarlane and ‘The Orville: New Horizons’ cast defend ‘woke’ sci-fi against Fox News attacksYahoo TV·7 min read
Reelz defends Eddie Van Halen episode of ‘Autopsy: The Last Hours of…’ after son Wolfgang and ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli call it ‘disgusting’Yahoo TV·3 min read
‘Smokey and the Bandit’ star Paul Williams talks Burt Reynolds, sobriety and why the 1977 blockbuster makes him feel ‘like a Beatle’Yahoo Movies·13 min read
Advertisement
Recommended Stories
U.S.Associated PressAvenatti gets 4 years in prison for cheating Stormy DanielsMichael Avenatti was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison for stealing book proceeds from Stormy Daniels, the porn actress who catapulted him to fame as he represented her in courtrooms and cable news programs during her legal battles with then-President Donald Trump. The California lawyer, currently incarcerated, learned his fate in Manhattan federal court, where Judge Jesse M. Furman said the sentence will mean that Avenatti will spend another 2 1/2 years in prison on top of the 2 1/2 years he is already serving after another fraud conviction. The judge said Avenatti’s crime against Daniels was made “out of desperation” when his law firm was struggling.18h ago
Ad•Search Ads | ReignnAdMacular Degeneration Critical Signs For Early HaltMacular Degeneration Signs and Symptoms – Some May Wish They Saw Them Earlier
SportsYahoo SportsRyan Fitzpatrick reportedly retiring from NFL after 17 seasonsRyan Fitzpatrick spent time with nine different NFL teams.11h ago
U.S.Associated Press