The New York Court of Appeals ruled that the trial judge made a mistake in allowing testimony that included “uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts.”
It was announced Thursday that Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction in New York is being overturned as the New York Court of Appeals ruled that he did not receive a fair trial. The foreman of the jury that convicted Weinstein spoke with Inside Edition about what was considered a pivotal moment of the #MeToo movement.
Bernard Cody, the jury foreman during Weinstein's trial, voted to convict the movie producer. He says he was shocked to hear that the conviction had been overturned.
“It took us a long time to come to that decision and then for them to overturn it it was just totally shocking,” Cody says.
Weinstein was convicted of sexual offenses against Jessica Mann and Mimi Haley. He was found not guilty of raping actress Annabella Sciorra.
Three other accusers he was not charged with assaulting also testified during the trial. The New York Court of Appeals ruled that the trial judge made a mistake in allowing testimony that included “uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts.”
Actress Ashley Judd responded to Thursday's news, saying, “This today is an act of institutional betrayal. And our institutions betray survivors of male sexual violence.”
Arthur Aidala, who represents Weinstein, tells Inside Edition it is up to the district attorney to decide whether to seek a retrial. ”He’s gotta assess his witnesses. We’re ready to go," he says.
Attorney Donna Rotunno, who also represented Weinstein in the 2020 trial, says she is “thrilled” about the overturned conviction. “I think the decision not only speaks to justice as a whole, I think it’s larger than Weinstein,” Rotunno says.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg says, “We will do everything in our power to retry this case.”
Weinstein is not expected to be set free. He is serving 16 years in California for a separate rape conviction. The case is also being appealed on the same grounds as New York.
“He wants to tell his side of the story,” Aidala says.
