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A New York appeals court has overturned Harvey Weinstein’s conviction for rape, citing prejudicial evidence erroneously introduced at trial.
The film mogul was originally convicted in February 2020 of a criminal sex act and sentenced to 23 years behind bars, but had appealed against the verdict, citing testimony from women who were not part of the case that may have unlawfully swayed the jury.
The decision handed down on Thursday agreed with Weinstein that the prosecution cannot use “prior convictions or proof of the prior commission of specific, criminal, vicious or immoral acts” to establish the accused’s “propensity for criminality”.
The Court of Appeals ordered a new trial. The decision does not affect Weinstein’s 2022 conviction in California.
This is a developing story
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