After Weinstein’s case was overturned, New York lawmakers move to strengthen sex crime prosecutions

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York lawmakers may soon change the legal standard that allowed Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction to be overturned, with momentum building behind a bill to strengthen sexual assault prosecutions after the disgraced movie mogul’s case was tossed.

The state’s highest court late last month threw out Weinstein’s conviction in a ruling that said a trial judge wrongly allowed women to testify about allegations that weren’t part of his criminal charges.

Two weeks later, lawmakers are pushing a bill that would allow courts to admit evidence that a defendant in a sex crimes case committed other sexual offenses, while also giving a judge discretion to bar such testimony if it would create “undue prejudice” against a defendant.

“In sexual assault cases, which typically rely on testimony of the survivor, it is essential and critical. It allows a perpetrator’s pattern of behavior to be presented in court,” Assemblymember Amy Paulin, a Democrat sponsoring the bill, said at a rally for the legislation in New York City on Thursday.

New York does allow such evidence to be used in some instances, such as to prove a motive or common scheme, though backers of the bill, which include the deputy leader of the state Senate, said the current rule is in need of clarification after the Weinstein decision.

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