Summary
- Harvey Weinstein's legal team plans to appeal his overturned convictions, claiming he was denied a fair trial, and aims to get a new trial.
- The appeal argues that the court made legal missteps that violated his rights and misinterpreted the victim's statements, affecting the outcome.
- Activists express outrage over the decision, while some, like Rose McGowan, remain resilient despite the setback in holding perpetrators accountable.
The news of Harvey Weinstein's charges being overturned had mixed reactions. His legal team is, of course, satisfied with the court's decision and confidently planning the next steps, but there has been a lot of outrage from the acting community and activists of the #MeToo movement.
After this shocking decision, Harvey Weinstein's lawyers are trying to get another trial, and claim that the one that convicted him in 2020 was unfair. They believe the director was not given the right to properly defend himself, and wish to get certain statements from witnesses thrown out.
Harvey Weinstein's Lawyers Claim He Was Denied A Fair Trial
Following the news of Harvey Weinstein's convictions being overturned, his legal team filed an appeal on Friday, June 7. The director was found guilty of rape and sexual assault and sent to prison, but could now get out. His legal team is requesting a new trial, as they consider the 2020 trial that convicted him unfair.
According to his lawyers, the previous conviction was "a miscarriage of justice," and they believe the judge denied him "his constitutional rights to present a defense."
"Harvey Weinstein was tried by a system devoted to 'getting him' at all costs. This appeal demonstrates nearly a dozen areas of brazen legal missteps that violated his right to a fair trial," said Harvey Weinstein’s publicist, Juda Engelmayer. "We know he has a solid case here."
They also believe one of the victims' statements was misleading, and claim the jury misinterpreted them, making the disgraced director pay the price for it.
"The jury was misled about [the victim's] truthfulness and precluded from considering game-changing evidence that pointed to Defendant’s innocence and contradicted the prosecution’s theory of guilt," his lawyers stated.
While none of this necessarily means Harvey Weinstein will walk free, his lawyers seem confident in their appeal.
Harvey Weinstein's Charges Were Overturned
In April this year, Harvey Weinstein's convictions for rape and sexual assault were overturned. According to the director's lawyer, it was on the grounds that many of the women who testified against him were not involved in the case.
This court decision has caused outrage among activists, and the attorney who represented the victims that testified against Harvey Weinstein was appalled that they would have to go through the trauma of trial all over again.
"Today’s decision is a major step back in holding those accountable for acts of sexual violence," lawyer Douglas H. Wigdor said in a statement to PEOPLE. "Courts routinely admit evidence of other uncharged acts where they assist juries in understanding issues concerning the intent, modus operandi or scheme of the defendant. The jury was instructed on the relevance of this testimony and overturning the verdict is tragic in that it will require the victims to endure yet another trial."
However, Rose McGowan, the first woman to accuse the director of rape, is not losing hope despite the circumstances.
"No matter what they overturn, they cannot take away who we are, what we know, what we've gone through and what we can achieve in this life," she shared in an Instagram reel. "We are not victims. We are people that were injured by evil. And the evil sticks together, as witnessed and evidenced today, but we are better."
