Harvey Weinstein Files Appeal to Rape Conviction, Claims Sentence Is ‘Unduly Harsh’

Harvey Weinstein has filed an appeal over his 2020 third-degree rape and criminal sexual act in the first-degree convictions.

“Mr. Weinstein was denied his constitutional right to be tried by a fair and impartial jury when the court refused to dismiss a juror for cause after his peremptory challenges were exhausted and permitted her to remain on the jury, even after it was well-established that she lied about matters material to her fitness to serve,” the filing, shared in full by Deadline on Monday afternoon, states.

Elsewhere in the 190-page filing, Weinstein’s legal team claims the conviction for third-degree rape “should be reversed” with the charge dismissed. Furthermore, Weinstein’s representation has argued that his total sentence (23 years) was “unduly harsh and excessive.” The team is calling for a new trial with regard to the other charge.

In March of last year, Weinstein—the co-founder of Miramax—was sentenced to 23 years in prison (20 years for the criminal sexual act and three years for third-degree rape). The disgraced film industry figure, now 69 years old, was found guilty of assaulting ex-production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and of raping actress Jessica Mann in 2013.

According to Deadline’s report, a response to Weinstein’s appeal from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is expected to be made public “in the next week.”