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California appeals court upholds Weinstein rape conviction, orders resentencing
California appeals court upholds Weinstein rape conviction, orders resentencing
A California appeals court on Friday unanimously upheld Harvey Weinstein’s 2022 rape and sexual assault conviction but ordered resentencing, ruling that the trial judge must reimpose a lawful penalty. The decision came…
The Story in Brief
A California appeals court on Friday unanimously upheld Harvey Weinstein’s 2022 rape and sexual assault conviction but ordered resentencing, ruling that the trial judge must reimpose a lawful penalty. The decision came a day after New York prosecutors dropped the remaining #MeToo-era case against him because the accuser said she could not testify again. Weinstein, 74, was convicted of raping and assaulting Italian actor Evgeniya Chernyshova at a 2013 film festival and sentenced to 16 years. His defence had argued that the judge unfairly limited testimony about the accuser’s alleged relationship with the festival head. A spokesperson said they will seek review by the California Supreme Court. Weinstein still faces a separate New York sentence of up to 20 years in September.
The Indian Opinion
Much noise is made about the criminal justice system being rigged against either survivors or the accused. The Weinstein case shows neither extreme is true: the New York rape charge was dropped because the accuser could not endure another trial, while the California court upheld the conviction but ordered stiffer resentencing because of a procedural error. Both outcomes are uncomfortable but lawful. The real test will be whether the California Supreme Court agrees to hear the appeal, and whether the 20-year sentence sought in New York is imposed in September.
Source: thehindu.com
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