An appeals court recently overturned a conviction of Harvey Weinstein (72) in New York. The former film mogul, who was also convicted in Los Angeles, is scheduled to appear in court in Manhattan shortly. If there is a new trial, one of the main witnesses at the time, Miriam Haley, might no longer be able to testify, as US media reports.
Weinstein was found guilty of rape and sexual assault in New York in 2020. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison. However, an appeals court recently overturned the verdict because, in its opinion, there had been a procedural error. The court then illegally allowed statements from other women who made equally serious allegations against Weinstein. However, the statements were not part of the lawsuit. According to US media, Weinstein must now appear in court for a new hearing on May 1st.
The public prosecutor’s office is seeking a new trial and would like to stand up for the victims. “We will do everything in our power to retry this case and remain steadfast in our commitment to survivors of sexual assault,” Emily Tuttle from the prosecutor’s office was quoted by CNN, among others.
If the case is actually retried on the US East Coast, the women for whose allegations the former film producer was convicted at the time may have to testify again. However, according to a report in the industry magazine “Variety”, Haley said on Friday that she had to weigh up whether she wanted to take the witness stand again.
During a press conference with her lawyer, she said that she wanted to avoid the torture of another trial, but that there were also broader questions at stake: “This isn’t just about me. It’s a really important case. It’s in the public eye .” It is difficult for her personally, but also important for the general public.
The statement at the time was more difficult for her than parts of the public think: “Especially after so many years, it was retraumatizing, grueling and exhausting… I definitely don’t want to go through that again.” But to do the right thing, she would consider it “because that’s what happened.”
When the verdict was overturned, Haley became nauseous. She still has to process her feelings at the moment. “Our job is to put the experiences and well-being of survivors at the center of every decision we make, and we will do that as we approach the next steps in this case,” prosecutors said.
Weinstein was once one of the most powerful men in Hollywood. The scandal surrounding the former film mogul that emerged in 2017 led to the spread of the
