Harvey Weinstein has been “dying to tell his story” for years—and he wants to do it on the witness stand.
Hours after the New York Court of Appeals issued a bombshell ruling overturning Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, his defense lawyers took a victory lap outside of Manhattan Criminal Court to praise the decision that marks “a great day for America.” In front of a sea of reporters, defense attorney Arthur Aidala relayed that Weinstein is eager for a retrial—and this time intends to tell the court his version of events without “so much baggage.”
“Harvey will, under this ruling, be able to take the stand. He will be able to tell his side of his story,” Aidala said. “He’s been dying to tell his story from Day 1.”
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In a 4-3 decision, the New York Court of Appeals ruled that the judge who presided over the 2020 trial “erroneously” allowed testimony from several women whose allegations against Weinstein were not a part of the case. The court ordered a new trial, and a Manhattan District Attorney spokesperson told The Daily Beast they plan to retry the case.
“What the highest court said today is, ‘No one is above the law, but no one is below the law either,’” Aidala said. “Whether it’s a former president of the United States, or the most storied producer in the history of the United States, the law applies to everyone.”
Aidala also took the time to praise the justice who wrote the decision, Judge Jenny Rivera.
“A real hero for women on this planet,” he claimed.
But the shocking decision is not a get-out-of-jail-free card for Weinstein. The 72-year-old was convicted of similar charges in Los Angeles and still faces a 16-year prison sentence. Jennifer Bonjean, another Weinstein lawyer, said Thursday that her client is slated to appeal his California conviction on May 20 and believes New York’s decision will help their case.
Aidala, however, said that his team is looking forward to “starting from scratch” and hitting the ground running on a new trial in New York. He said that Weinstein, who is currently being held in a facility upstate, will be transferred to a Manhattan correctional facility to have easier access to his lawyers.
He added that Weinstein, who heard the news when someone showed him an AP article about the reversal, “heaped praise” on his legal team and was “very gracious.”
“I’m confident that if there’s a trial here in New York, Mr. Weinstein’s insistence on his innocence will come forward, and he would be acquitted,” Aidala said.
