Harvey Weinstein's sexual assault conviction upheld; court orders resentencing
What's the story
A California appeals court has upheld the December 2022 rape and sexual assault conviction of disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. However, it has ordered his trial judge to resentence him. The ruling was issued unanimously by a three-judge panel from California's 2nd District Court of Appeal on Friday. This decision comes just a day after New York prosecutors decided not to pursue a fourth trial against Weinstein (74) there.
Response
'Disappointed' by ruling, says Weinstein's spokesperson
Weinstein's spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, expressed disappointment with the court's decision. He said in an email, "We are disappointed by today's decision and respectfully disagree with the Court of Appeal's conclusions regarding the fairness of Mr. Weinstein's trial." "At the same time, the court correctly recognized that his sentence cannot stand."
Future steps
'Significant legal errors affected proceedings'
Engelmayer elaborated, "This is not the end of the appellate process." "We intend to seek review in the California Supreme Court because we continue to believe significant legal errors affected the proceedings and warrant further review." Before his sentencing, Weinstein had told the judge that this was a "made-up story" from a woman he had never met.
Ongoing case
Weinstein still convicted in New York
Weinstein stands convicted of another sexual felony in New York. He is currently behind bars as he awaits sentencing for this conviction involving a different woman. Prosecutors are reportedly seeking a 20-year prison term for him. He would serve his California sentence only after that.
Conviction details
Details of his California conviction
Weinstein was convicted of one count of rape and two counts of sexual assault against an Italian model-actor. She testified that Weinstein had assaulted her during the 2013 LA Italia Film Festival. Weinstein's defense argued that a judge wrongly prevented his lawyers from asking about Facebook messages between the woman and festival head Pascal Vicedomini, which they claimed would have shown the two were in a sexual relationship. "The lower court...gutted Mr. Weinstein's defense," attorney Jennifer Bonjean said in April.