New York's highest court has overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, AP News has reported.
This paves the way for a new trial in a case that sent shockwaves through Hollywood.
The verdict, reached in a tight 4-3 decision by the New York Court of Appeals, centers on the inclusion of witnesses who accused Weinstein of assault but were not part of the original trial proceedings.
Weinstein, now 72, has been serving a 23-year sentence in a New York prison since his conviction on charges stemming from incidents in 2006 and 2013. These include a criminal sex act for forcibly performing oral sex on a TV and film production assistant, as well as third-degree rape for an attack on an aspiring actress.
While this decision may offer Weinstein a glimmer of hope, he remains behind bars due to a separate conviction in Los Angeles in 2022, where he was found guilty of another rape and handed a 16-year prison sentence.
This new development comes more than a year after the disgraced movie mogul pleaded with a California judge after he was sentenced to an additional 16 years behind bars.
He was handed the sentence in a Los Angeles courtroom on February 23, 2023, two months after a jury convicted him of three counts of rape and sexual assault.
He had already been serving a 23-year sentence in New York for a separate conviction after being found guilty of rape and sexual assault in that jurisdiction in 2020.
The conviction was seen as a landmark in the #MeToo movement which encouraged women to speak out about the rampant sexual abuse and harassment they were facing in the film and television industry.
The former Hollywood executive was at the time sentenced for the rape of an actress - named Jane Doe 1 to protect her anonymity - at a Beverly Hills hotel in Los Angeles in 2013.
In December, the jury found him guilty of rape, forcible oral copulation, and sexual penetration by a foreign object.
Weinstein called the case against him a "set-up" before learning his fate. He also pleaded: "This is a made-up story. Jane Doe 1 is an actress. She can turn the tears on."
"Please don't sentence me to life in prison. I don't deserve it. There are so many things wrong with this case," he told the courtroom.
"There are too many loopholes. Too many things wrong with this case. This is a setup. This is not the way to act in this situation," adding, "I beg your mercy."
It was reported at the time of the trial that the convicted sex offender forced his way into an unidentified Italian actress and model's room and raped her.
The victim tearfully recounted her trauma in court and said: "Before that night I was a very happy and confident woman. I valued myself and the relationship I had with God.
"I was excited about my future. Everything changed after the defendant brutally assaulted me. There is no prison sentence long enough to undo the damage," she added.
Her lawyer, Dave Ring, also said after the verdict: "The sentencing today provides Jane Doe 1 with closure and relief, knowing Weinstein will spend the rest of his life in prison where he belongs," per Sky News.
"It took tremendous courage for Jane Doe 1 and the other victims to come forward and testify... Weinstein is out of options," the lawyer added.
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