Lawyers for Harvey Weinstein appeal against his Los Angeles sexual assault conviction from 2022.
Weinstein was declared guilty in a court of criminal activities related to Jane Doe 1, which include rape, penetration by means other than a penis, and coerced oral interaction. Attorneys representing Weinstein recently filed a petition for a new trial in California's Second District Court of Appeal.
In the court documents, Weinstein's lawyers argued that he didn't receive a fair trial due to several reasons such as certain evidence being rejected, the non-disclosure of Jane Doe 1's ongoing romantic affair during the time of the alleged assault, and the inclusion of unprocessed charges of sexual misconduct by Weinstein in the apparently presented evidence.
"The defendant's trial was a free-for-all where the prosecution presented evidence of a dozen uncharged sex crimes and related misdemeanours, but the jury was not clear on what to do with such highly prejudicial material," the court document states.
The trial in Los Angeles concerned Weinstein's prominence in Hollywood and his misuse of influence to trick women into private meetings, sexually assault them, and then silence accusations they made.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office has been reached out to by CNN to obtain comment on this appeal.
The appeal becomes even more vital following Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction in New York being reversed by an Appeals Courts in April. The ruling stated that the admissibility of witnesses to provide testimonies on Weinstein's unrelated criminal acts unjustifiably related to the crimes charged was improper due to its mere aim of establishing that Weinstein had a criminal inclination.
This reversal sparked alarms among communities of sexual assault survivors, particularly the more than a hundred women who have claimed that Weinstein assaulted and harassed them.
A re-trial has been ordered in Manhattan, and the prosecutors there have declared their intent to re-prosecute the case. Preceding the re-trial, a few new accusers have come forward with new allegations against the Hollywood producer.
"We will do everything in our power to retrial this case, and remain committed to support survivors of sexual assault," Emily Tuttle, deputy director of communications and senior advisor for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, remarked.
Weinstein's attorneys, in the Los Angeles appeal, argued that the prosecutors took up the subject of Weinstein's New York conviction during jury selection and infringed upon his right to an impartial and fair trial.
"The defendant is deserving of a new trial where his constitutional rights are respected, where he can defend himself, and where the trial is about his actions - not his persona," the filing reads.
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The lawyers mentioned in the appeal are actively working on behalf of Weinstein, as they are representing him in his request for a new trial. Despite facing convictions in both Los Angeles and New York, Weinstein and his legal team remain determined to defend his rights and seek fair trials.
