Celebrity
Harvey Weinstein Is Appealing 2020 Rape Conviction. New York’s Top Court To Hear Arguments
NEW YORK — Nearly four years after Harvey Weinstein was convicted of rape and sentenced to prison, New York’s top court will hear arguments Wednesday in his bid to reverse the landmark #MeToo verdict.
Weinstein’s lawyers are requesting that the state’s Court of Appeals in Albany overturn the disgraced movie mogul’s 2020 conviction, alleging that the judge violated his right to a fair trial by “succumbing to the pressure” of America’s reckoning with sexual misbehaviour perpetrated by powerful persons.
The judge, James Burke, accepted testimony from three women whose allegations were not part of the prosecution and ordered that prosecutors might question Weinstein about other unconnected misbehaviour if he testified, which he refused to do.
Harvey Weinstein Is Appealing 2020 Rape Conviction. New York’s Top Court To Hear Arguments
“What we’re arguing is that there should not be a different set of rules for an individual in society who becomes vilified,” Weinstein’s lawyer, Arthur Aidala, explained. There is no such thing as “the Weinstein rule that just applies to that little sliver of society that everyone decides to really hate,” that’s what he stated.
Weinstein, 71, was convicted on February 24, 2020, of a criminal sex act for forcibly performing oral sex on a TV and film production assistant in 2006, as well as third-degree rape for an attack on an aspiring actress in 2013. He was sentenced to 23 years in jail and is currently housed at the Mohawk Correctional Facility, a state prison about 100 miles (161 kilometres) northwest of Albany.
At the same Manhattan trial, Weinstein was found not guilty of first-degree rape and two counts of predatory sexual assault stemming from actor Annabella Sciorra’s allegations of rape in the mid-1990s. The Associated Press does not usually identify persons who allege sexual assault unless they agree to be named; Sciorra has spoken publicly about her allegations.
Last year, Weinstein was convicted in Los Angeles of raping and sexually abusing an Italian actor and model who claimed he showed up unannounced at her hotel room door at a film festival in 2013. In that case, he was sentenced to an extra 16 years in prison, so even if the Court of Appeals ruled in his favour, he would remain incarcerated.
Harvey Weinstein Is Appealing 2020 Rape Conviction. New York’s Top Court To Hear Arguments
Weinstein maintains his innocence. He claims all sexual interaction was consensual. He is not anticipated to attend Wednesday’s hearings, just for the New York case, but he may watch the court’s webcast from prison. The court is unlikely to rule immediately.
The New York Court of Appeals agreed last year to hear Weinstein’s case after an intermediate appellate court upheld his conviction. Weinstein’s attorneys seek a second trial, but just for the criminal sexual act charge. They contend that the rape accusation cannot be retried since the alleged activity occurred outside of the statute of limitations.
Allegations against Weinstein, the once-powerful and feared studio leader behind Oscar triumphs like “Pulp Fiction” and “Shakespeare in Love,” sparked the #MeToo movement. His trial in New York received widespread attention, with protesters yelling “rapist” outside the courthouse.
Weinstein’s attorneys stated in their appeal that Burke impacted the trial’s outcome by repeatedly ruling in favour of prosecutors, including decisions that “overwhelmed” the trial with “excessive, random, and highly dubious prior bad act evidence.” Burke’s term ended at the end of 2022. He was not reappointed and hence no longer serves as a judge.
If Weinstein had testified, Burke decided that prosecutors might have questioned him on more than two dozen alleged incidents of boorish behaviour over 30 years, including whether he had stranded a colleague in a foreign country or yelled at restaurant staff while demanding a late-night lunch.
Weinstein’s lawyers claimed Burke’s findings went beyond what is generally permitted — identifying motive, opportunity, intent, or a common strategy or plan — and effectively put the former studio boss on trial for crimes he was not charged with and had no opportunity to defend himself against. That evidence would have “only served to make the jury hate Weinstein,” his lawyers claimed.
The rules for calling witnesses to testify and permitting prosecutors to introduce evidence about “prior bad acts” and the actual accusations differ by state. New York’s rules are among the strictest.
Harvey Weinstein Is Appealing 2020 Rape Conviction. New York’s Top Court To Hear Arguments
They also questioned Burke’s refusal to remove a jury who had written a novel about predatory older men, as well as his choice to allow prosecutors to speak on victim behaviour and rape myths while rejecting defence expert testimony on the same topics.
In 2022, a five-judge panel in New York’s intermediate appellate court concluded unanimously that Burke had “providently exercised” his discretion despite the fact that some of the justices had previously expressed concerns about his actions. During oral arguments, Judge Sallie Manzanet-Daniels stated that Burke had allowed prosecutors to pile on “incredibly prejudicial testimony” from other witnesses.
Aidala has asked the Court of Appeals to remind the state’s trial courts “that a defendant cannot be tried based on his character — but must be tried based on the conduct for which he has been accused.”
SOURCE – (AP)
Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey has denied new allegations of inappropriate behavior from men in a British television documentary airing next week. After his acquittal last year in a London court, Spacey told journalist Dan Wootton online that he had hard to return to work.
in the interview “Kevin Spacey: Right Of Reply” that aired late Friday on Wootton’s YouTube channel.
Four men accused Spacey of sexual assault 20 years ago, but a London jury acquitted him in July. The court victory was his second since defeating “Star Trek: Discovery” actor Anthony Rapp’s $40 million New York case in 2022.
Channel 4 in Britain and Max in the U.S. will carry the documentary “Spacey Unmasked” on May 6 and 7.
The actor indicated in an interview that the documentary will contain men’s 1976–2013 testimony.
Spacey, who won Oscars for “The Usual Suspects” and “American Beauty,” stated, “I take full responsibility for my past behaviour and my actions, but I cannot and will not take responsibility or apologize to anyone who’s made up stuff about me or exaggerated stories about
“Never have I said that if someone gives me sexual favors, I will help them with their career,” he told AP.
Old Vic Theatre in London: Getty Images
Kevin Spacey, who was creative director of the Old Vic Theatre in London from 2004 to 2015, said that he was a “flirt” with 20-something males and made “clumsy” approaches.
“I’ve clearly hooked up with some men, who thought a relationship with me might help them advance in their careers,” he stated. “But there was no conversation with me, it was all part of their plan, a plan that was only going to fail because I wasn’t involved.”
Kevin Spacey said on X, formerly Twitter, that he had “repeatedly requested” that Channel 4 give him more than seven days to react to their documentary charges.
Spacey said the channel declined “on the basis that they feel that asking for a response in 7 days to new, anonymized and non-specific allegations is a ‘fair opportunity’ for me to refute any allegations made against me.”
“Each time I have been given time and a proper forum to defend myself, the allegations have failed under scrutiny and I have been exonerated,” he said. Spacey called his acquittal a “life sentence” and said he struggled to return to work.
Since the #MeToo movement began in 2017, his acting career has suffered. He lost his Netflix leadership role as Frank Underwood in “House of Cards”.
Kevin Spacey Found Not Guilty on 9 Sexual Misconduct Charges
Kevin Spacey Found Not Guilty on 9 Sexual Misconduct Charges
Washington — On Friday, “Star Wars” actor Mark Hamill visited the White House with President Joe Biden, leaving with a pair of the president’s aviator sunglasses and a newfound respect for the job.
“I love the merch,” he added, removing his glasses briefly at the White House daily press briefing following his meeting with Biden. Hamill, 72, famous for playing Luke Skywalker, joked with reporters that he’d answer a few questions as long as they weren’t about “Star Wars.”
AP – VOR News Image
‘Star Wars’ Actor Mark Hamill Drops By White House For A Visit With ‘Joe-Bi-Wan Kenobi’
“I was honored to be asked to come to the White House to meet the president,” he told reporters. He’d been to the White House previously, during the Carter and Obama administrations, but he’d never seen the Oval Office, which he described as impressive. According to Hamill, Biden displayed photographs and other memorabilia from the Oval Office.
Hamill claimed Biden told him to call him “Joe,” to which Hamill responded with an alternative suggestion: “Can I call you Joe-bi-Wan Kenobi?”
“He liked that,” said Hamill, who also portrayed the Joker in “Batman: The Animated Series.”
AP – VOR News Image
‘Star Wars’ Actor Mark Hamill Drops By White House For A Visit With ‘Joe-Bi-Wan Kenobi’
Both Mark and the White House were hazy about the cause for his visit. But Mark, a Democrat and Biden supporter with a sizable social media following, has been posting about the president’s reelection campaign this week.
“May 1 Not Quench Your Thirst For Biden’s Re-election!” he tweeted on May 1.
On Friday, he wrote, “May 3 be absurd that the guy who tried to steal a fair election is allowed to run again,” referring to Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
May 4 is unofficially known as “Star Wars” Day, partly due to the famous Jedi line “May the Force Be With You.” The pun is “May 4 be with you.”
AP – VOR News Image
‘Star Wars’ Actor Mark Hamill Drops By White House For A Visit With ‘Joe-Bi-Wan Kenobi’
Mark also provided his voice for “Air Alert,” a downloadable program linked to Ukraine’s air defense system. His voice warns citizens to take cover if Russia launches another aerial strike on Ukraine.
SOURCE – (AP)
Celebrity
Kevin Spacey Denies New Allegations Of Inappropriate Behavior To Be Aired On UK Television Next Week
LONDON — Kevin Spacey, the Oscar-winning actor, has denied new charges of inappropriate behavior by men who will appear in a British television documentary airing next week.
In an online interview with journalist Dan Wootton, Spacey stated that he has never done anything unlawful and has struggled to return to work since being convicted of criminal charges in a London court last year.
“I can’t go through this again, allowing myself to be baselessly attacked without defending myself,” he said in the “Kevin Spacey: Right Of Reply” interview, which aired late Friday on Wootton’s YouTube channel.
AP – VOR News Image
Kevin Spacey Denies New Allegations Of Inappropriate Behavior To Be Aired On UK Television Next Week
Last July, a London jury cleared Spacey of sexual assault charges stemming from 20-year-old allegations made by four men. The court triumph was his second since defending himself against a $40 million lawsuit filed in New York in 2022 by “Star Trek: Discovery” actor Anthony Rapp.
The documentary “Spacey Unmasked” will be shown on Channel 4 in Britain on May 6 and 7 and on Max in the United States.
“I take full responsibility for my past behaviour and my actions, but I cannot and will not take responsibility or apologize to anyone who’s made up stuff about me or exaggerated stories about me,” said Spacey, who received Academy Award nominations for “The Usual Suspects” and “American Beauty.”
“I’ve never told someone that if they give me sexual favors, then I will help them out with their career, never,” he said.
Rolling Stone – VOR News Image
Kevin Spacey Denies New Allegations Of Inappropriate Behavior To Be Aired On UK Television Next Week
Spacey, the creative director of the Old Vic Theatre in London from 2004 to 2015, said that he was a “flirt” with men in their twenties and occasionally made “clumsy” advances.
“I’ve clearly hooked up with some men who thought they might get ahead in their careers by having a relationship with me,” he went on to say. But there was no conversation with me. It was all part of their plan, a plan that was always destined to fail because I wasn’t in on the deal.”
The actor also stated on X, formerly Twitter, that he had “repeatedly requested” that Channel 4 give him more than seven days to reply to the claims brought against him in their program.
Spacey said that the network turned down his request “on the basis that they feel that asking for a response in 7 days to new, anonymized and non-specific allegations is a ‘fair opportunity’ for me to refute any allegations made against me.”
ABC – VOR News Image
Kevin Spacey Denies New Allegations Of Inappropriate Behavior To Be Aired On UK Television Next Week
Spacey said he had struggled to return to work since being acquitted of all criminal charges, characterizing the experience as a “life sentence.”
His acting career had suffered since 2017 when he was publicly accused of inappropriate behavior at the start of the #MeToo movement. He then lost his starring role as Frank Underwood in the Netflix thriller “House of Cards”.
SOURCE – (AP)
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