A New York appeals court has decided to retry former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein over sexual assault allegations, overturning his conviction four years ago.
In 2020, a trial court in New York sentenced Weinstein to 23 years in prison after finding him guilty of two charges.
The State of New York Court of Appeals made the retrial decision on Thursday, saying "the trial court erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts" other than the charged acts in the original trial. The appeals court said it undermined the defendant's right to a fair trial.
The prosecutors of the case said they remain steadfast in their commitment to survivors of sexual assault. The Manhattan district attorney's office said it intends to retry Weinstein.
Weinstein's legal team stressed in a news conference the necessity to apply the law fairly to everyone.
The Weinstein scandal triggered the "#MeToo" movement in 2017, inspiring actresses and other women around the world to stand up against sexual misconduct.
Weinstein will remain behind bars as he was also sentenced to 16 years in prison at a court in Los Angeles last year.