Harvey Weinstein, the former film producer accused of sexual assault and rape, could walk free. An Appeals Court in New York City is evaluating the possibility of overturning the 23-year sentence imposed on him. Three of the five judges showed concern about the case following arguments presented by his team on December 15.
Judge Sallie Manzanet-Daniels even called the use of uncharged allegations ‘exaggerated’ and ‘overwhelming.’ Harvey Weinstein is currently at the Twin Towers Correctional Center in Los Angeles, United States, awaiting trial on 11 other counts of rape and sexual assault.
The former producer’s legal team is very happy with Wednesday’s results. Lead defense attorney Donna Rotunno said it couldn’t have been better and that her client didn’t get the right process in his trial that began more than two years ago. She says the decisions had a strong emotional charge: “There was that doomed-at-all-costs mentality.”
Counsel attorney, Damon Cheronis is very hopeful that a settlement will be reached soon and that his client could be released in the next few weeks. The trial he expects could (according to estimates) begin next summer; however, if the New York conviction is overturned his lawyers could seek to have him released on bail.
“See this case for what it is, that evidence that should never have been presented to this jury infected the trial and made it impossible for Mr. Weinstein to have justice,” Cheronis said for Variety.
In the speech given in the court of law, they recounted that Judge James Burke allowed prosecutors to allow three witnesses to be present. Tarale Wulff, Dawn Dunning, and Lauren Young claimed that Weinstein sexually assaulted them in allegedly business meetings. They were used to back up the allegations for which he was on trial. Precisely because of these allegations, the conviction could be overturned as the allegations were ineligible. If the appeals court ordered a new trial, prosecutors would call Jessica Mann and Miriam Haley, the alleged victims in the cases for which the producer was convicted, to testify again. They would not call Annabella Sciorra because Weinstein was already acquitted of those charges.
The Weinstein case has indeed put all eyes on the film industry. Hollywood walked more carefully and rethought the role in cases of sexual assault and violence.
Translated by María Isabel Carrasco Cara Chards
