NEW YORK (AP) — A New York appeals court overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction on Thursday, stating that the trial judge should not have permitted other women to testify about alleged assaults that the movie mogul was not charged with. Here is some of the reaction to the ruling:
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“This is the experience of being a woman in America, dealing with male entitlement to our bodies.” — Ashley Judd, whose public statement accusing Weinstein of sexually harassing her as a young actor played a key role in launching the case.
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“Judges across the country will start to limit what they allow as evidence because it's a constitutional right to present your side of the story without having so much of your entire life's history displayed to a jury… With this new ruling, Harvey will have the opportunity to testify and to consistently share his version, which is, ‘Yes, there was a sexual encounter… But I never forced her to do anything.’ ” — Weinstein lawyer Arthur Aidala.
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“Thanks to the courageous women in this case who spoke out, millions and millions of others gained the strength to come forward and do the same. That will always be the triumph. This does not change that. Those who abuse their power and privilege to harm others will always be the wrongdoers. This does not change that.” — Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo movement at large.
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“During a trial in California, the jury was informed that he had been convicted in another state for rape… It turns out he should not have been convicted, and it was not a fair conviction… This significantly impacted his presumption of innocence in California.” — Weinstein lawyer Jennifer Bonjean, who is appealing his rape conviction in Los Angeles.
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“Today’s decision does not negate the truth of what occurred. It does not change the fact that Weinstein is a habitual sexual abuser who exploited his power for many years.” — Fatima Goss Graves, CEO of the National Women’s Law Center, which operates the Time’s Up Legal Fund, offering legal assistance and resources for individuals facing sexual harassment and violence.
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“Today’s decision reaffirms what we already know from our survey of over 13,000 entertainment workers. We have observed a lack of progress in addressing the power imbalances that enable abuse, and sexual assault continues to be a widespread issue.” — Anita Hill, chair and president of The Hollywood Commission.
