Trending Now
We have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for Eurasia Group and its affiliates, including GZERO Media, to clarify the types of data we collect, how we collect it, how we use data and with whom we share data. By using our website you consent to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, including the transfer of your personal data to the United States from your country of residence, and our use of cookies described in our Cookie Policy.
The New York Court of Appeals overturned a 2020 sex crime conviction against disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein on Thursday, citing procedural errors.
What’s the issue? The court found that the judge presiding over the 2020 trial had inappropriately allowed testimony from women who alleged Weinstein had sexually assaulted them in incidents unrelated to the cases at hand. The higher court ruled that doing so had unfairly prejudiced the jury.
The improper testimony comes from blurry lines around the use of “prior bad acts” witnesses. Generally speaking, courts don’t allow testimony to simply portray the defendant as having a low character. But in certain cases, prosecutors can call witnesses of a defendant’s past behavior to establish a motive or intent in another incident.
What’s next? Weinstein will stay behind bars, as he is still under a 16-year prison sentence from a separate case in California, which could amount to a life sentence for the 72-year-old. New York prosecutors, meanwhile, indicated they would pursue a new trial.