NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 conviction for sexual assault and rape was overturned by New York’s highest court, reopening the landmark case that fueled the #MeToo movement and highlighting the challenges of holding powerful men accountable.
Many accusers of the former Holly-wood movie mogul condemned Thurs-day’s decision, with the actress Ashley Judd telling reporters it was “an act of institutional betrayal.”
The office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg signaled it planned to retry Weinstein.
In a bitterly divided 4-3 ruling, the state Court of Appeals said the trial judge made a critical mistake by letting women testify that Weinstein assaulted them, even though their accusations were not part of the charges he faced.
The appeals court said the trial judge compounded the error by ruling that if Weinstein took the witness stand, prosecutors could question him on a wide range of “loathsome” conduct, including bullying and fits of anger toward associates.
It said the ruling had an impact on Weinstein’s decision not to testify in his own defense, undermining a fact-finding process that turned on the parties’ credibility.
“The remedy for these egregious errors is a new trial,” Judge Jenny Rivera wrote for the majority.
