After being found guilty of third-degree rape and a criminal sexual act in 2020, disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein has been granted an appeal on the charges.
Chief Judge Janet DiFiore granted Weinstein's request on August 19, according to a spokesperson for the Court of Appeals in Albany, NY.
"I am innocent of these charges, and I am so grateful to my attorneys for working hard and smart on this," Weinstein said in a statement released by his spokesperson [via Entertainment Tonight]. "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."
Weinstein's attorneys added in a statement, "We are grateful that Chief Judge DiFiore acknowledged the substantial legal issues in this case and we are hopeful that the entire Court will find that Mr. Weinstein did not receive a fair trial and reverse his conviction."
Weinstein was found guilty of third-degree rape and a criminal sexual act in February 2020 for sexually assaulting an actress in a New York City hotel room in 2013 and for forcing oral sex on a former production assistant in 2006, respectively.
He was subsequently sentenced to 23 years in prison. In intermediate-level appeals court, his legal team argued that he was unfairly tried in the fallout of the #MeToo movement — which was largely sparked by allegations against Weinstein.
Though New York's highest court will hear an appeal on these charges sometime next year, in the meantime, Weinstein has been extradited to Los Angeles to face additional charges there. In June, he was also charged by British prosecutors for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in 1996.
Chief Judge Janet DiFiore granted Weinstein's request on August 19, according to a spokesperson for the Court of Appeals in Albany, NY.
"I am innocent of these charges, and I am so grateful to my attorneys for working hard and smart on this," Weinstein said in a statement released by his spokesperson [via Entertainment Tonight]. "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."
Weinstein's attorneys added in a statement, "We are grateful that Chief Judge DiFiore acknowledged the substantial legal issues in this case and we are hopeful that the entire Court will find that Mr. Weinstein did not receive a fair trial and reverse his conviction."
Weinstein was found guilty of third-degree rape and a criminal sexual act in February 2020 for sexually assaulting an actress in a New York City hotel room in 2013 and for forcing oral sex on a former production assistant in 2006, respectively.
He was subsequently sentenced to 23 years in prison. In intermediate-level appeals court, his legal team argued that he was unfairly tried in the fallout of the #MeToo movement — which was largely sparked by allegations against Weinstein.
Though New York's highest court will hear an appeal on these charges sometime next year, in the meantime, Weinstein has been extradited to Los Angeles to face additional charges there. In June, he was also charged by British prosecutors for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in 1996.
