Why N.Y.'s top court gave Harvey Weinstein a new trial, Biden in 'Cuse

Plus: a new report on IDAs and Thursday Reads

Good afternoon — it’s Thursday, and National Telephone Day.

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

TODAY’S CAPCON:

• Why N.Y.’s top court gave Harvey Weinstein a new trial

• Biden joins Hochul in Syracuse for a Micron announcement

• New report on industrial development agencies

• Thursday Reads

🔨 Is Tomorrow a Session Day? No.

☁️ Tonight’s Weather: Albany: Clear, high 20s New York City: Clear, low 40s (National Weather Service)

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Weinstein in 2018. (Jeenah Moon/The New York Times)

⚖️ Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction overturned by Court of Appeals, new trial ordered

🧑‍⚖️ The court’s majority wrote that the trial court’s decision to allow testimony on uncharged, alleged acts prevented a fair trial for Weinstein.

The majority’s opinion was written by Associate Judge Jenny RIVERA, but three other members of the court joined her — including Chief Judge Rowan WILSON.

“The only evidence against (Weinstein) was the complainants’ testimony, and the result of the court’s rulings, on the one hand, was to bolster their credibility and diminish (Weinstein’s) character before the jury,” Rivera wrote.

• Two of the court’s judges recused themselves from the case, so two substitute judges were brought in.

• They sided with Rivera and Wilson, who are considered to be among the court’s most liberal judges.

Three of the court’s judges signed onto a dissenting opinion, written by Associate Judge Madeline SINGAS, which tore into their colleagues for ordering a new trial.