Harvey Weinstein Is Granted An Appeal By New York Court

The disgraced former Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Weinstein received some very good news (for him) on Wednesday when he was granted the right to appeal his rape conviction by the New York State Court of Appeals. 

BREAKING: Harvey Weinstein has been granted an appeal on Wednesday, more than two years after he was convicted of third-degree rape and other crimes. #HarveyWeinstein pic.twitter.com/Of8wm43tWp

— BNN Newsroom (@BNNBreaking) August 25, 2022

Weinstein Granted Appeal

This comes after Weinstein, 70, was convicted of rape back in 2020, and sentenced to 23 years in prison. Weinstein has long claimed that his sexual relations with the women involved in the case were all consensual.

Daily Mail reported that this ruling, which was handed down by New York State of Appeals Chief Judge Janet DiFiore, means that oral arguments for this case will be heard next year. His appeal was granted over claims that witnesses were allowed to testify about alleged abuse that did not form part of the charges against Weinstein.

Attorneys representing the former Hollywood producer also claim that one juror did not disclose they’d previously written a book on sexual predators, which they say should have precluded this person from serving on the jury. 

If Weinstein wins this appeal, he could end up being freed on bail as he awaits a potential retrial.

Find out more about this in the video below.

Related: Prison Officials Concerned Harvey Weinstein Might Have ‘Epstein Incident’

‘I Am Innocent Of These Charges’

“I am innocent of these charges, and I am so grateful to my attorneys for working hard and smart of this,” Weinstein said in a statement. “Their hard work will help me prove my innocence in the end. I look forward to this opportunity to be heard by The New York Court of Appeals.”

“Harvey lives to fight another day,” Arthur Aidala, a lawyer representing Weinstein, told Page Six. 

Aidala went on to say that he is grateful for this ruling because it “acknowledged the unique legal issues in this case.”

“We are hopeful the entire court will find that Mr. Weinstein did not receive a fair trial and reverse his conviction,” he said. 

Aidala went on to explain that “there was one juror who has written a book about sexual predators that she lied about during jury selection.”

Find out more about this in the video below.

Related: James Woods Unearths Video Of Michelle Obama Praising Harvey Weinstein

‘It’s About Whether The Trial Judge Followed The Law’

“This isn’t about whether [Weinstein] is innocent or guilty, but if he got a fair trial or not a fair trial,” he argued. “It’s about whether the trial judge followed the law. We would hope we would get a decision in late spring, early summer of 2023.”

Aidala then said that Weinstein, who is currently being held at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles, was relieved to hear the decision. 

“His mood was that of relief and he is very hopeful that these judges will rule that he did not get a fair trial,” he said of Weinstein. “He has consistently maintained his innocence as he does today.”

Weinstein was considered to be one of the most powerful men in Hollywood for years before he was brought down as part of the #MeToo movement, which saw dozens of women come forward to accuse him of rape and sexual assault. Though he spent much of the past two years in prison in New York, he is currently being held at a Los Angeles prison awaiting trial on more sexual assault charges there.