Harvey Weinstein will face a new trial beginning April 15, 2025, in Manhattan’s state court, following a ruling from the New York Court of Appeals that overturned his 2020 conviction for third-degree rape and a criminal sex act.
The court’s April 25, 2024 decision cited significant judicial errors, stating that Judge James Burke improperly allowed testimony from several women whose allegations were unrelated to the charges at hand. A panel of three appellate judges described this as a “critical error” that may have unfairly influenced the jury. The ruling cleared the way for the retrial.
Weinstein, once a dominant force in Hollywood, was originally sentenced to 23 years in prison. In 2022, he received an additional 16-year sentence in Los Angeles for a separate sexual assault.
At his last court appearance in January, Weinstein, now 72, requested an expedited trial, telling the judge, “I don’t know how much longer I can hold out.” The former producer, currently held at New York City’s Rikers Island, is battling cancer and heart disease, frequently voicing concerns about the prison’s severe conditions.
The retrial represents a pivotal moment for the #MeToo movement, which gained global momentum in 2017 after accusations against Weinstein surfaced, reshaping conversations about sexual misconduct and power dynamics across industries.
