Breaking News: Harvey Weinstein’s Rape Conviction
Set for Overhaul, New Trial Ordered

Weinstein’s Fight Not Over: New Trial Ahead as
2020 Conviction Overturned

Summary

• Harvey Weinstein’s court hearing is scheduled for May 1 in Manhattan Supreme Court, following the overturning of his 2020 rape conviction by New York’s highest court.
• The decision was made in a 4-3 ruling by the New York Court of Appeals, stating that errors were made in allowing testimony about uncharged alleged prior sexual acts during the trial.
• The upcoming hearing aims to annul Weinstein’s conviction and charge him again with the sex crime allegations from 2018.
• Despite a 2022 conviction in Los Angeles, Weinstein will remain in custody.
• The District Attorney’s office expressed their commitment to prioritizing survivors’ voices and seeking justice for the offenses.
• Weinstein is currently under the care of the NYC Department of Corrections at Rikers.
• Weinstein’s team is cautiously optimistic about the trial, with the reduction in charges and a fairer legal process assured.

Harvey Weinstein is scheduled for a court hearing next week, following the overturning of his 2020 rape conviction by New York’s highest court. Weinstein’s appearance at the Manhattan Supreme Court is slated for May 1, as confirmed by the office of the Manhattan District Attorney late on Friday.

The session in Judge Curtis Farber’s courtroom will commence at 2:15 p.m. ET. The decision to overturn Weinstein’s conviction and 23-year sentence was delivered in a 4-3 ruling by the New York Court of Appeals last Thursday. Judge Jenny Rivera, writing for the majority, stated that former Justice James Burke made errors by allowing testimony about uncharged alleged prior sexual acts to be admitted four years ago during the trial. Consequently, the Appeals Court has mandated a new trial for Weinstein.

The upcoming hearing on May 1 aims to annul Weinstein’s 2020 conviction and to formally charge him again with the sex crime allegations from 2018. Despite a 2022 conviction on similar charges in Los Angeles, resulting in a 16-year imprisonment, Weinstein will remain in custody after the forthcoming hearing.

A representative for D.A. Alvin Bragg expressed the Special Victims Division’s commitment to prioritizing survivors’ voices and seeking justice for these grave offenses. “Our approach to every decision we make is centered around the experiences and welfare of survivors, and we will maintain this focus as we proceed with future steps in this case,” said the spokesperson to Deadline. Recently relocated from an upstate New York state prison, Weinstein, 72, is now under the care of the NYC Department of Corrections at Rikers, where his health needs are being attended to.

“Weinstein’s team, represented by Arthur Aidala, looks forward to the trial with a cautious optimism,” said spokesperson Juda Engelmayer to Deadline. “With the reduction in charges and a fairer legal process assured, we are reassured by the Appeals Court judges’ recognition of due process rights.”

Weinstein was initially arrested for rape in May 2018, following extensive reports in the New York Times about his long history of alleged abuse and assaults, which led to his 2020 conviction for the sexual assault and rape of Mimi Haley and Jessica Mann. This conviction, which Weinstein was serving consecutively, also required him to register as a sex offender, a status likely to be reconsidered at the May 1 hearing.

Mimi Haley, a key witness in the 2020 trial who was assaulted by Weinstein in his SoHo apartment in 2006, expressed her dismay upon hearing the news of the conviction’s reversal. Represented by Gloria Allred, Haley stated her reluctance to endure another trial but acknowledged the importance of continuing to seek justice.

The May 1 hearing will occur without the presence of Donald Trump, a former acquaintance of Weinstein, as the ex-president’s hush-money trial will not be in session that Wednesday.