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Chief Judge Janet DiFiore "granted leave to
appeal" on Aug. 19, the court wrote in a letter dated Monday
that was sent to Weinstein's lawyers, and reviewed by Reuters on
Wednesday.
The letter did not detail what grounds may have led to the
decision and it has no bearing on further rape charges against
him in California.
Upon weighing arguments from Weinstein's lawyers and
prosecutors, the court can uphold the conviction or order a new
trial. Last June, a lower appeals court upheld the conviction,
rejecting arguments that the Manhattan trial judge made several
errors that tainted the trial.
The bar for ordering a new trial is high, but Weinstein was
"relieved at this decision," said one of his lawyers, Arthur
Aidala, after speaking with his client in prison.
"He's hopeful that the court is going to find that he did not
receive a fair trial and reverse his conviction. And, as he has
consistently, he maintained his innocence," Aidala said.
Weinstein, 70, a Hollywood power broker who produced "Pulp
Fiction," "Shakespeare in Love" and "Gangs of New York," became
one of the most prominent targets of the #MeToo and #TimesUp
movements that alleged sexual abuse at the highest levels of
corporate America, entertainment and the media.
In February 2020, a Manhattan jury found Weinstein guilty of
raping a former aspiring actress and sexual assaulting a
production assistant. A judge sentenced him to 23 years in
prison.
Weinstein is jailed in California, where he was extradited last
year and awaits trial on 11 charges of misconduct toward five
women between 2004 and 2013. Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to
rape and sexual assault charges in Los Angeles.
(Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Leslie Adler and Richard
Pullin)
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