Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction in New York was overturned by the state’s highest appeals court, and the disgraced former Hollywood mogul is currently undergoing tests at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan. Despite being in custody, Weinstein remains under hospital care and is scheduled to return to court on May 1.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office has announced their intention to retry the case against Weinstein, seeking justice for survivors of sexual assault. The recent decision to overturn Weinstein’s 2020 conviction was made by a slim majority of the New York Court of Appeals, who found that the original trial allowed testimony of “prior bad acts” against women who were not complainants in the trial. This was seen as unfairly prejudicial as it suggested that Weinstein had a propensity to commit such acts.
Weinstein is currently serving a 16-year sentence following a 2022 California rape conviction, which was not affected by the recent decision in New York. California state law differs from New York in how it views “prior bad acts” testimony, which may have influenced the outcome of Weinstein’s trial in each state. Despite facing legal challenges, Weinstein’s health concerns are currently the focus of his care at Bellevue Hospital.
