Harvey Weinstein Appeals Sex Crimes Conviction

New York:

Jailed filmmaker Harvey Weinstein filed a long-expected attraction on his rape and sexual assault convictions Monday, kick-starting an try to have his 23-year jail sentence quashed.

Attorneys for Weinstein, discovered responsible final yr in a landmark verdict for the #MeToo motion, stated in a New York courtroom submitting that the “Pulp Fiction” producer was denied a good trial.

They argue that a number of girls who had accused Weinstein of sexual assault, however whose allegations weren’t included within the costs, mustn’t have been allowed to testify as so-called prior unhealthy acts witnesses.

“The American felony justice system was designed to convict defendants based mostly on their conduct — not their normal character,” the attorneys wrote.

Weinstein’s legal professionals additionally argue that the impartiality of the jury was compromised by a juror who had written a guide about older males preying on youthful girls.

The movie producer’s protection staff had tried unsuccessfully to have her dismissed forward of the trial.

“Primarily based on the approaching publication of her guide, she had a pecuniary motive to convict the defendant,” the attorneys wrote.

Weinstein, 69, was discovered responsible of a felony sexual act within the first diploma and rape within the third diploma in February 2020. He was cleared of predatory sexual assault costs.

Almost 90 girls, together with Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek, have leveled sexual misconduct allegations towards Weinstein, the Oscar-winning producer of quite a few hits together with “Shakespeare in Love.”

However the trial centered on costs associated to simply two. Weinstein was convicted of raping ex-actress Jessica Mann in 2013 and of forcibly performing oral intercourse on former manufacturing assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006.

Within the attraction, Weinstein’s legal professionals additionally accused Decide James Burke, who they repeatedly clashed with all through the seven-week trial, of passing an “unduly harsh and extreme” sentence.

Weinstein is being held at a most safety jail in upstate New York.

He’s additionally awaiting trial in Los Angeles on rape and sexual assault costs involving 5 girls.

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