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Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 conviction for sex crimes was overturned Thursday by New York’s highest court, a decision that upends one of the leading cases of the #MeToo movement.
The court, in a divided ruling, said a trial judge committed fundamental errors, including admitting testimony that shouldn’t have been allowed.
“The remedy for these egregious errors is a new trial,” the court said.
A New York jury had found Weinstein guilty of third-degree rape for a 2013 encounter in which he allegedly had sex with aspiring actress Jessica Mann against her will.
Jurors also found him guilty of a first-degree criminal sex act stemming from accusations that he forced oral sex on production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison.
Thursday’s ruling won’t make Weinstein, 72 years old, a free man. In a separate case, a California jury convicted Weinstein in 2022 of rape and other offenses. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
“We will do everything in our power to retry this case, and remain steadfast in our commitment to survivors of sexual assault,” a spokeswoman for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said.
A Weinstein representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Oscar-winning producer’s empire fell when dozens of women, including Hollywood actresses, came forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct. The allegations sparked a movement that placed a spotlight on pervasive sexual harassment in many industries.
Writing for a 4-to-3 majority Thursday, Judge Jenny Rivera said the trial court improperly allowed testimony from women who spoke about alleged past acts by Weinstein that weren’t charged in the case.
“Under our system of justice, the accused has a right to be held to account only for the crime charged and, thus, allegations of prior bad acts may not be admitted against them for the sole purpose of establishing their propensity for criminality,” Rivera wrote.
Dissenting judges said the ruling endangered decades of progress in sex-crimes cases.
“With today’s decision, this Court continues to thwart the steady gains survivors of sexual violence have fought for in our criminal justice system,” Judge Madeline Singas wrote.
Weinstein, co-founder of Miramax and Weinstein Co., was one of the most powerful and successful producers in Hollywood for decades, producing lucrative and award-winning films such as “Pulp Fiction” and “Shakespeare in Love.” As women came forward to accuse him, Hollywood insiders said it was an open secret that he engaged in sexually inappropriate and manipulative behaviors.
Weinstein has been in custody at the Mohawk Correctional Facility in New York, according to the state Department of Corrections.
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