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Posted on 04/25/2024 7:20:47 AM PDT by Red Badger
The disgraced Hollywood producer was tried for his past behavior as well as the crimes he was charged with, a key mistake, the appeals court ruled.
New York’s highest court has overturned fallen Hollywood titan Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction.
In a 4-3 decision, the appeals court ruled Thursday that Weinstein was tried not only for the crimes he was charged with but with his past behavior, and that witnesses were allowed to testify about allegations that were not part of the case.
“Under our system of justice, the accused has a right to be held to account only for the crime charged,” the court said in its ruling.
The court has thus ordered a new trial, essentially forcing the disgraced movie mogul’s accusers to face reliving the painful episodes they described on the witness stand all over again.
“That is unfair to survivors,” actress Ashley Judd told The New York Times in the wake of the shock ruling. “We still live in our truth. And we know what happened.”
Weinstein, 72, will remain behind bars in spite of the ruling, because he was convicted of rape and sentenced to 16 years in Los Angeles in a separate case. He has been serving a 23-year sentence in New York after being convicted on allegations of forcibly performing oral sex on a woman and raping another woman.
“Today’s decision is a major step back in holding those accountable for acts of sexual violence,” attorney Douglas H. Wigdor, who has represented eight Weinstein victims, said in a statement. “Courts routinely admit evidence of other uncharged acts where they assist juries in understanding issues concerning the modus operandi or scheme of the defendant. The jury was instructed on the relevance of this testimony and overturning the verdict is tragic in that it will require the victims to endure yet another trial.”
Asked by the Times for a reaction to the decision, Weinstein’s lawyer Arthur Aidala said, “This happened 10 minutes ago. He doesn’t even know yet.”
Donna Rotunno, another member of Weinstein’s legal team, told The Daily Beast: “Justice was served. I believe this decision is larger than Harvey Weinstein. Courts cannot operate on emotion and lack of due process The world is off-balance, and when the justice system does not work, nothing does. This decision restores faith in the foundation of our system.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Wait, let me guess.... Harvey Weinstein (D)
Shriveled dick Hollywood Dem
Since when? /Trump
I thought some crimes could be testified about if they were part of a pattern? Why would the judge make this mistake?
I hope he celebrates with Taylor Swift and a house plant.
I didn’t know Weinstein was a friend of Joe Biden.
If Trump testifies in the ‘hush money’ trial, the judge has already ruled that Bragg can bring up everything from Trump’s past, even when there is no connection to the current case.
essentially forcing the disgraced movie mogul’s accusers to face reliving the painful episodes they described on the witness stand all over again.
This in addition to allowing biological men to replace biological women for college sports scholarships. WHO exactly is waging a war on women?
Just wait until the trannies find out they can’t have an abortion...........................
Rule of Evidence 404(b) says other crimes, wrongs or acts are not admissible to prove the defendant acted similarly, except to prove motive, intent, plan, etc. I don’t know that a 404(b) objection was the basis for the reversal, but it seems likely, esp. if there was no notice given prior to its introduction.
Why is a New York court spending Time and resources on this
This guy is permanently in jail for similar crimes
His reputation will always be bad
LOL - did the New York state High Court specifically exclude Trump?
In at least one of Trumps NY trials, the prosecution introduced the hot-mic news clip where Trump says that women let wealthy male celebrities grab their private parts.
In the current trial, the NYC prosecution is asking witnesses questions about conspiracy, but Trump is NOT charged with conspiracy.
You mean, a NEW YORK court got one right?
"Defendant was convicted by a jury for various sexual crimes against three named complainants and, on appeal, claims that he was judged, not on the conduct for which he was indicted, but on irrelevant, prejudicial, and untested allegations of prior bad acts. We conclude that the trial court erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes because that testimony served no material non-propensity purpose. The court compounded that error when it ruled that defendant, who had no criminal history, could be cross examined about those allegations as well as numerous allegations of misconduct that portrayed defendant in a highly prejudicial light. The synergistic effect of these errors was not harmless. The only evidence against defendant was the complainants’ testimony, and the result of the court’s rulings, on the one hand, was to bolster their credibility and diminish defendant’s character before the jury. On the other hand, the threat of a cross-examination highlighting these untested allegations undermined defendant’s right to testify. The remedy for these egregious errors is a new trial."
And next, the conviction of Epstein will be reversed!
Why?
To normalize Democratic party behavior.
#MeToo was always about getting Trump.
Based on this decision in New York State, they might as well declare a mistrial today for the current Trump trial for his supposed mislabeling of a non-disclosure payment. All the testimony and evidence so far by the prosecution has nothing to do with the supposed fraudulent bookkeeping and is all just an attempt to paint him as a horrible person. Weinstein claimed and the appeals court agreed that the trial court judged him on “irrelevant, prejudicial, and untested allegations of prior bad acts. Exactly what they are doing to Trump in this case too.
Harvey Weinstein is a DEMOCRAT who openly despised Republicans.
He was THE MONEY MAN behind Democrat politicians for years and years.
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