Overturning Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, explained

NNew York’s high court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, the watershed case that sparked Hollywood’s #MeToo movement.

The 72-year-old has been serving a 23-year sentence on charges of rape and sexual assault at an upstate New York correctional facility since February 2020.

Here’s what we know about the historic decision.

Why was Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction overturned?

In the 4-3 decision, the New York Court of Appeals found that the appointed judge prejudiced the disgraced movie mogul’s case by allowing the prosecution to call women who were not part of the case to testify as witnesses.

The court said the testimony “served no material non-propensity purpose.” He added that the court’s decision to allow Weinstein to be questioned, when he had no criminal record, “portrayed [the] defendant in a highly prejudicial light.”

In 2020, Lauren Young, Dawn Dunning and Tarale Wulff testified about their experiences with Weinstein under a state law that allows testimony about “prior bad acts” to demonstrate behavioral tendencies.

The court said Thursday that, “under our system of justice, the accused has the right to be held accountable only for the crime charged.” Juda Engelmayer, a spokesperson for Weinstein, told Deadline that they are “cautiously excited”About the decision. “He still has a long way to go because of the Los Angeles case. We are studying the ramifications of the feature now.”

See more information: 2017 TIME Person of the Year: The Silence Breakers

What does the overturned conviction mean for Harvey Weinstein?

Weinstein was also convicted of sexual crimes in Los Angeles in 2022. In that case, he was sentenced to 16 years in prision.

As a result of Thursday’s verdict, he will not be released from prison. Instead, it is understood he will be transferred to authorities in California, where his conviction still stands.

What might happen next after the Court of Appeal’s decision?

A defining symbol of Hollywood, Weinstein has been accused of using his position to intimidate, exploit or coerce women in the film industry into granting him sexual favors. A bomb 2017 new York Times article by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey reported that Weinstein reached “at least eight” financial settlements with women who accused him of sexual harassment and unwanted physical contact.

Article inspired 2022 drama film She said, based on the book of the same name by Kantor and Twohey, in which they recount accounts of the story that led many women to come forward with their own accusations. The #MeToo movement has become a global phenomenon, with women from all walks of life coming forward to share their experiences of rape, harassment and sexual assault.

In light of Thursday’s ruling, one would expect Weinstein’s accusers to return to the stand and retell their stories on the witness stand, Sky News reported. Manhattan prosecutors will decide whether to retry Weinstein.

In a statement emailed to TIME, the anti-sexual violence organization RAINN criticized the decision. “Overturning Harvey Weinstein’s conviction is a horrible decision that does not protect due process – it disrupts justice for the survivors of his crimes,” said Scott Berkowitz, founder and president of RAINN.

“Harvey Weinstein was fairly convicted and deserves to be punished for all of his crimes. RAINN urges District Attorney Bragg to immediately commit to retrying him. Our hearts also go out to the survivors who courageously testified against Weinstein and are now seeing that bravery turn into a legal loophole. We are by your side.”