Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape and sexual assault convictions in New York have been overturned

Although his conviction was overturned in New York, the disgraced Hollywood mogul will remain behind bars due to his conviction in California

Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape and sexual assault convictions in New York state have been overturned, according to a decision on Thursday, April 25.

The once prominent Hollywood producer was found guilty of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and third-degree rape in a New York courtroom in February 2020 New York Times reported at the time. He was subsequently sentenced to 23 years in prison.

Weinstein, now 72, was indicted after he was accused of performing oral sex on a woman in 2006 and raping another woman in 2013, PBS reported.

The overturning of the convictions came after Weinstein’s attorney, Arthur Aidala, claimed his client did not receive a fair trial because of trial judge James Burke’s decisions – particularly because he allowed three women to testify against him, whose allegations were not included in the case. and allowing prosecutors to potentially confront him about his general behavior, The Associated Press reported. Aidala claimed that these decisions by Burke resulted in Weinstein’s character being put on trial, rather than the allegations at hand.

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It is currently unclear whether Weinstein will be retried in connection with these allegations, but the disgraced Hollywood mogul will remain behind bars for his sex crimes convictions in California in 2022.

Related: All the Hollywood Personalities Who Spoken Out Against Harvey Weinstein

In December of that year, Weinstein was convicted in a separate trial of one count of forcible rape, one count of forced oral copulation and one count of sexual penetration by a foreign object in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office announced in a 2022 press release. He was sentenced to an additional 16 years in prison Los Angeles Times reported at the time. These allegations stemmed from an assault in 2013, according to the press release.

Weinstein’s crimes came to light at the height of the #MeToo movement, as victims of sexual assault around the world – and in Hollywood – began sharing their experiences on social media. Numerous celebrities have spoken out against Weinstein, including Salma Hayek, Lupita Nyong’o and Ryan Gosling. Accordingly USA Today87 people have accused Weinstein of inappropriate behavior and/or assault.

See also: Actress Julia Ormond sues Harvey Weinstein over alleged sexual assault in 1995

Weinstein’s overturned conviction is not a first. In 2021, Cosby’s 2018 conviction for three counts of aggravated indecent assault was overturned and he was released from prison after serving more than two years.

“Today’s decision is a major step backwards in holding accountable those held responsible for acts of sexual violence,” Douglas H. Wigdor — who represented eight victims in the New York criminal trial — tells PEOPLE in an explanation. “Courts routinely admit evidence of other unindicted acts where they help jurors understand issues related to the defendant’s intent, modus operandi, or plan. The jury was informed of the relevance of this statement and the overturning of the verdict is tragic in that it will force another trial on the victims.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

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Read the original article on People.