The highest court in New York on Thursday overturned the conviction for sexual crimes imposed in 2020 on the producer of hollywood Harvey Weinsteina surprising twist in the case that launched the #MeToo movement.
These are the key moments of the case:
2017: Scandal breaks out
The New York Times published a major investigation in October 2017 that detailed several allegations of sexual harassment and assault against Weinstein over three decades. Actresses Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan are the best-known accusers.
The newspaper revealed that Weinstein reached financial agreements with at least eight women to keep them silent about the abuse.
The board of directors of the Weinstein Company film production company, which the mogul controls with his brother Bob, is forced to fire him a few days later.
Italian actress and film director Asia Argento told The New Yorker magazine a few days later that Weinstein raped her in 1997. Two other women also accused him of sexual assault.
Actresses Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie and Rosanna Arquette joined the list of women suing Weinstein for harassment.
The board of directors of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences, the institution that awards the Oscars, voted to expel Weinstein, whose films won more than 80 statuettes.
As the weeks go by, more and more women are encouraged to say publicly that they have been abused by Weinstein, both on social media and in front of television cameras.
2018: Weinstein is indicted
Manhattan prosecutors accuse Weinstein of first- and third-degree rape of former actress Jessica Mann (not yet identified) in 2013.
Weinstein appears before a Manhattan judge and court after surrendering to police, followed by a swarm of journalists and photographers.
His lawyer at the time, Ben Brafman, is negotiating a bail of one million dollars.
Prosecutors later add new charges for a sexual act “forced” in July 2006 against another woman, production assistant Mimi Haleyi.
2019: New testimony
Prosecutors present a new indictment that will allow the actress of “The Sopranos”Annabella Sciorra, participate in the trial as a witness.
Sciorra claims Weinstein raped her in the winter of 1993-94. The statute of limitations has expired, but prosecutors hope her story will help convince jurors that Weinstein is a sexual predator.
Weinstein reaches a settlement for US$25 million with more than 30 actresses who accuse him of sexual harassment and abuse, in a class-action civil lawsuit not linked to his criminal trial.
Under the agreement, Weinstein does not have to admit any guilt.
2020: Guilty
A jury of NY declares Weinstein guilty of two charges that have not yet prescribed: first-degree sexual assault against Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and third-degree rape against Jessica Mann in 2013.
The verdict was reached after almost a month of trial in which these two women and four other witnesses told in great detail how they were humiliated, attacked and raped by Weinstein.
The #TimesUp movement predicted “a new era of justice” for survivors of sexual assault, while the Manhattan prosecutor, Cyrus Vance, assured that it begins “a new day” for the American judicial system.
On March 11, Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison by Judge James Burke, almost the maximum expected (29 years).
2022: Trial in Los Angeles
The Oscar winner is found guilty in December 2022 by a Los Angeles jury of three counts of attacking a woman in a Beverly Hills hotel room a decade earlier, including forcible rape.
In a trial that lasted weeks, prosecutors paint the portrait of a predatory ogre, who for years carried out a “reign of terror”using his physical size and professional skill to rape and abuse women in Hollywood.
According to prosecutors, his victims were terrified and feared for their careers if they reported a man who dominated the industry.
Weinstein is acquitted of another charge and a mistrial is declared on three others. The producer promises to appeal the guilty verdicts.
His victim in the case says she hopes Weinstein “never see the outside of a prison cell in your life.”
Two months later, the movie mogul is sentenced to 16 years in prison, which a judge orders to serve after his conviction in New York.
2024: New York conviction overturned
In a stunning reversal, New York state’s highest court overturns Weinstein’s 2020 sex crime conviction in a 4-3 decision on April 25.
The Court of Appeals cites errors in the way the trial had been conducted, including the admission of testimony from women who were not part of the charges against him.
“Order revoked and new trial”, says the ruling, and adds that “allegations of prior wrongdoing cannot be admitted against (the defendants) for the sole purpose of establishing their propensity for criminality.”
A group of victims described the annulment of the former film producer’s conviction as “deeply unfair” and announced that he will continue “fighting for justice for survivors around the world.”
The next steps for Weinstein, currently held at the Mohawk Correctional Facility in Rome, New York, are still unclear.
Source: Gestion
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