Weinstein Loses Appeal in California Sex Crimes Conviction
A California appeals court has upheld Harvey Weinstein's 2022 conviction for sex crimes, though it ordered a new sentencing hearing.
Weinstein Loses Appeal in California Sex Crimes Conviction
A three-judge appeals panel in California has refused to overturn Harvey Weinstein's conviction for sexual offenses. The court affirmed the former Hollywood producer's 2022 guilty verdict on Friday but directed that a fresh sentence be imposed.
Weinstein, now 74, was found guilty in December 2022 at a Los Angeles trial on three counts of sex crimes, including rape. The accusations came from four women and covered incidents between 2004 and 2013, with most alleged assaults taking place at Beverly Hills hotels. In February 2023, he received a 16-year prison term for these offenses.
His legal team appealed, arguing the trial had been unfair in its handling of witness questioning. The appellate court rejected this claim. However, it sent the matter back to the original trial judge, who had imposed an eight-year maximum on one count, to determine a new penalty.
Weinstein spokesperson Juda Engelmayer expressed disappointment that the conviction stood. The defense intends to take the case to California's Supreme Court, Engelmayer stated.
The California ruling came one day after separate developments in New York. There, prosecutors announced on Thursday they would not retry Weinstein for allegedly raping actress Jessica Mann in a Manhattan hotel in 2013, following discussions with Mann.
Weinstein had been sentenced to 23 years in a 2020 New York trial focused mainly on two accusers. That conviction was unexpectedly overturned in 2024 due to procedural errors. Two subsequent retrials on the Mann charge ended with hung juries. In 2025, a New York jury did find Weinstein guilty of serious sexual offenses against a different woman; sentencing in that case is expected in September.
Since 2017, over 80 women have publicly accused the former film executive of sexual misconduct. Weinstein has denied all allegations in court, with his attorneys maintaining any encounters were consensual.
Source: 20 Minuten
Source: 20 Minuten