The judge on August 19 signed the certificate to grant leave, which stated that “questions of law are involved which ought to be reviewed by the Court of Appeals.”
The allegations against the once-powerful movie producer fueled the global #MeToo movement and encouraged women to speak out against sexual abuse. His sentencing in New York garnered praise from prosecutors and leaders of the movement.
“I am innocent of these charges, and I am so grateful to my attorneys for working hard and smart work on this. Their hard work will help me prove my innocence in the end,” Weinstein said in a statement to CNN through a spokesperson. “I look forward to this opportunity to be heard by the The New York Court of Appeals.
Weinstein’s spokesperson Juda Engelmayer said in a statement to CNN that Weinstein’s team is grateful for the rare opportunity of being allowed to argue their case before the state’s highest court, adding that there “was plenty wrong with the trial and conviction and Harvey’s attorneys will do what is needed to prove his innocence of the charges.”
A spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, which prosecuted the case, declined to comment on the court’s certificate granting Weinstein’s application.
Haley testified that Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her in 2006 at his Manhattan apartment. Mann testified that he raped her in 2013 during what she described as an abusive relationship.
