After his conviction in 2020, the Harvey Weinstein case seemed to have come to an end. It all started in 2017 when several women accused Weinstein of abuse, and the number of accusers only grew with time. Because of the alarming amount of allegations against him, the former producer's career began to decline even before he was imprisoned. He was arrested in 2018, and convicted in 2020.Women all over the world are now protesting the fact that Weinstein will be getting the chance to appeal his sentence, as it has been announced just days ago.
This Appeal Comes Two Years After Harvey Weinstein's Sentence
It was over two years ago when former producer Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison after several women came forward with horrendous accusations of sexual abuse. His case constituted the first big case of the Me Too movement in which women finally got the chance to tell their stories and ask for justice. Weinstein was convicted of rape and criminal sexual act, but now, years later, he's claiming to be innocent and has gotten the chance to appeal.
His rep said that they are "hopeful and grateful for this rare opportunity, and believe that granting Harvey Weinstein and his lawyers leave to make the appeal to the N.Y. Court of Appeals demonstrates that there is, in fact, merit to the appeal. There was plenty wrong with the trial and conviction and Harvey's attorneys will do what is needed to prove his innocence of the charges."
The Accusers' Defense Are Confident
Although this new development is obviously unsettling for the accusers and everyone who celebrated Weinstein's conviction as a win for the Me Too movement, the representatives of the women who accused the producer are confident this is just one more obstacle that they will overcome.
"Weinstein is a desperate man, but we are confident that New York's highest court will ultimately reject his appeal and affirm the appeal court's well-reasoned decision affirming the trial court's conviction and sentence," their rep said. Weinstein has tried to appeal the sentence before, to no avail, so it's not clear to the general public what has changed.
Regardless, this is a highly sensitive subject. Especially if the legal battle continues and becomes inevitably publicized, discretion and respect are key. Hopefully, there will be more news soon.
