OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Disgraced former Hollywood movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has lost his appeal in his New York case.
“Weinstein, who inadvertently spearheaded the #MeToo movement when decades of sexual abuse allegations against him came to light five years ago, lost his appeal Thursday on a rape conviction and prison sentence stemming from a New York case,” Fox News reported.
“The ruling issued Thursday by a five-judge panel in New York’s intermediate state appeals court rejected the former film producer’s claims that the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced him by allowing women to testify about allegations that were not part of the criminal case. The decision affirmed the milestone verdict in America’s reckoning with sexual misconduct by powerful figures — an era that began with a flood of allegations against Weinstein,” the report added.
“Weinstein, 70, is jailed in California, where he was extradited last year and is awaiting trial on charges alleging that he assaulted five women in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills from 2004 to 2013. Weinstein was convicted in New York in February 2020 of a criminal sex act for forcibly performing oral sex on a TV and film production assistant in 2006 and rape in the third degree for an attack on an aspiring actress in 2013,” the report continued.
“We perceive no basis for reducing the sentence, and we have considered the defendant’s remaining arguments and find them unavailing,” read the decision from the Appellate Division, First Department.
During a December hearing, one of the judges on the five-member panel blasted prosecutors over the “incredibly prejudicial testimony” from some of the witnesses.
“Let’s inflame the jury’s heart by telling them that he beat up his brother during a meeting. I just don’t see how there is a balance there on that,” Judge Sallie Manzanet-Daniels had said.
Weinstein’s lawyer Barry Kamins complained that the extra testimony went beyond what is normally accepted.
“The jury was overwhelmed by such prejudicial, bad evidence,” Kamins said. “This was a trial of Harvey Weinstein’s character. The people were making him out to be a bad person.”
Breaking News: A New York appeals court upheld Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 sex-crimes conviction, raising the likelihood he'll serve most of his 23-year sentence. https://t.co/qkRorc2iWl
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 2, 2022
Harvey Weinstein loses bid to overturn rape conviction https://t.co/LGwGD3WkkX pic.twitter.com/Ha4dsalzEi
— New York Post (@nypost) June 2, 2022
Harvey Weinstein's criminal sex act and rape convictions have been upheld by a New York appellate court https://t.co/O3SF2dz5pA
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) June 2, 2022
New York appeals court upholds conviction for sexual assault of 2 women and 23-year prison sentence for Harvey Weinstein.
— Harry Litman (@harrylitman) June 2, 2022
Excellent news “Harvey Weinstein loses appeal of rape conviction in NY case” https://t.co/xOOhuLOXbB
— Tammy Bruce (@HeyTammyBruce) June 2, 2022
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg lauded the ruling that upheld the “just verdict.”
“We are gratified by today’s decision, which upholds a monumental conviction that changed the way prosecutors and courts approach complex prosecutions of sexual predators,” Bragg said in a statement. “I am grateful to the brave survivors in this case for their remarkable courage and candor, as well as the jurors who dedicated their time and effort to securing a fair and just verdict.”
“Finally, I thank the numerous members of my Office, from the trial team to the appellate attorneys, who have dedicated years to securing justice in this case,” Bragg concluded.
