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Film mogul Harvey Weinstein was convicted of rape in a 2020 trial seen as a defining moment for the #MeToo movement.
However, an appeals court overturned that conviction after the presiding judge found numerous errors and instances of bias. The court has ordered a new trial, meaning his accusers will have to relive the trauma all over again.
The #MeToo movement may have gone too far in many instances. But Weinstein is a first-class scumbag and deserved the 23-year sentence he was given.
Fortunately, Weinstein will not be set free. He is serving a concurrent 16-year sentence for rape stemming from a trial in 2022.
In truth, the behavior of the trial judge in Weinstein’s New York case was outrageous. The judge « erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes. » The appeals court said the testimony « served no material non-propensity purpose » and « portrayed [the] defendant in a highly prejudicial light. »
This was a huge mistake by the prosecutor, and the judge should have known what an appeals court would think of the testimony of women not part of the criminal complaint.
It was overkill. Weinstein was almost certainly going to be convicted based on the powerful testimony of the main complaining witness.
The 4-3 appeals court decision was met with disbelief by #MeToo advocates.
