#Me too
The trial against Weinstein is to be reopened
Harvey Weinstein was in a New York courtroom yesterday for the first time since his rape conviction in 2020. Photo
© David Dee Delgado/POOL Reuters/AP
The first verdict against film mogul Weinstein was a milestone in legal history and the #MeToo movement. Then it was surprisingly overturned – but the public prosecutor’s office doesn’t want to give up.
After the spectacular overturning of the rape conviction against the former film mogul Harvey Weinstein prosecutors want to reopen the trial. “We believe in this case and we will reopen this case,” said Assistant Prosecutor Nicole Blumberg at a hearing in a court in New York, at which the 72-year-old Weinstein himself was also present, as several US media outlets consistently reported .
The defense also agreed to a new trial. Both sides signaled they could be ready for a new trial in the fall if that fits into the court calendar. Judge Curtis Farber initially scheduled a new hearing for May 29th. Whether there will actually be a new trial could also depend, for example, on whether witnesses would want to testify again.
Conviction surprisingly overturned
Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison for sexual offenses in 2020. Last week, an appeals court in New York surprisingly overturned the historic conviction. By a narrow majority, the panel found that procedural errors had been made in the process at the time. Numerous supporters and activists of the #MeToo movement were horrified.
Weinstein is still in prison because he was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2023 in another criminal trial in Los Angeles, which also involved sex crimes. His defense lawyers are also challenging this verdict.
The Weinstein trial sparked the #MeToo movement
After the verdict was overturned in New York, Weinstein was transferred from a prison in northern New York state to Rikers Island prison in the metropolis of New York. He then had to be treated in a hospital in Manhattan, according to his spokesman and legal team, suffering from high blood pressure, heart disease and “a variety” of other health problems. He was pushed into the courtroom yesterday in a wheelchair.
The first Weinstein trial marked a milestone in legal history. The case played a key role in triggering the #MeToo movement. Since 2017, more than 80 women have publicly accused Weinstein of sexual assault. The ex-producer has always denied any guilt and claimed that sexual acts were consensual.