Harvey Weinstein’s sex crimes conviction overturned, court orders new trial

A New York court overturned Harvey Weinstein sex crimes conviction in a stunning decision Thursday.

The New York Court of Appeals ruled following a 4-3 vote that testimony from “prior bad acts” witnesses should not have been allowed because it “was unnecessary to establish defendant’s intent and served only to establish defendant’s propensity to commit the crimes charged,” according to CNN.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office reportedly plans to retry the case, with spokesperson Emily Tuttle saying Thursday, “We will do everything in our power to retry this case, and remain steadfast in our commitment to survivors of sexual assault.”

According to Agence France-Presse, a French international news agency in Paris, Weinstein’s victims have said in a statement that the reversal is “profoundly unjust.”

Meanwhile, the former Hollywood movie exec’s rep, Juda Engelmayer, said, “We are cautiously excited and need to study the ramifications of the appeal decision. We always said this was an unjust trial.”

Weinstein, 72, was convicted of one count of rape and one criminal sex act count in February 2020.

He was found guilty at the time of a criminal sexual act in the first degree for forcibly performing oral sex on former “Project Runway” production assistant Miriam “Mimi” Haleyi and rape in the third degree for an attack on hairstylist Jessica Mann.

However, even then, the verdict wasn’t a total win for prosecutors. Weinstein was also found not guilty in that same trial relating to the charges of predatory sexual assault — which carried a life sentence — and rape in the first degree for Mann.

This story is developing …