Court upholds Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction
NEW YORK — A New York appeals court on Thursday upheld Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 conviction on felony sex crimes, increasing the likelihood that the disgraced movie producer will serve a significant portion of his 23-year sentence.
Since last summer, Weinstein, 70, has been awaiting trial in Los Angeles, where he has been charged with several counts of forcible rape and forcible oral copulation, as well as other counts related to sex crimes. A trial date is expected to be set this month.
The New York decision had been hotly anticipated by the state’s legal community, particularly after oral arguments in December, when members of the five-judge panel that heard the case seemed skeptical of some decisions made by the trial judge.
But the decision Thursday was unanimous — and clear.
“We reject defendant’s arguments, and affirm the conviction in all respects,” wrote Judge Angela M. Mazzarelli, the opinion’s author.
An attorney for Weinstein said his legal team would ask New York’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, to review the affirmation. That court will not automatically take the case.
“We are obviously disappointed in the court’s decision and look forward to asking the Court of Appeals to review what we believe are substantial meritorious legal issues,” said the attorney, Barry Kamins. “Mr. Weinstein will continue to pursue all available legal remedies to establish that he did not receive a fair trial.”
Reports of Weinstein having sexually abused women appeared in the New York Times in fall 2017, leading dozens of others to speak about their own experiences and eventually igniting what became known as the #MeToo movement, a global repudiation of sexual misconduct by powerful men.
The Weinstein case led to a cascade of accusations against other prominent figures and widespread discussion about the ubiquity of sexual harassment and assault, and the harm such behavior caused.
Less than a year later, Weinstein was indicted by Manhattan prosecutors and charged with sex crimes.
His trial began in January 2020, and late the following month, a jury found him guilty of two felonies: a criminal sexual act in the first degree and third-degree rape. He was acquitted of two charges of predatory sexual assault. In March, he was sentenced to 23 years in prison.
Weinstein’s attorneys appealed his conviction in April 2021.