# Weinstein's California Rape Convictions Survive Appeal as Court Orders Fresh Sentencing > A California appeals court unanimously upheld Harvey Weinstein's 2022 rape and sexual assault convictions while ordering the trial judge to hold a new sentencing hearing, ensuring Weinstein remains in custody. **Type:** article · **Category:** World · **Published:** 2026-06-27 · **Source:** TrendKia **Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/world/harvey-weinstein-ki-doshasiddhi-barakarara-lekina-california-korta-ne-saja-para-manga-punarvichara-3192 · **Language:** English **Tags:** Harvey Weinstein, California appeals court, rape conviction, sexual assault, MeToo movement, New York trial, sentencing hearing, Evgeniya Chernyshova Harvey Weinstein's rape and sexual assault convictions from a December 2022 Los Angeles County trial will remain on the books. California's 2nd District Court of Appeal, in a unanimous decision issued Friday by a three-judge panel, confirmed the guilty verdicts against the 74-year-old. However, the same ruling concluded that the 16-year prison sentence he received cannot stand and directed the original trial judge to conduct a fresh sentencing hearing. ## Spokesman Issues a Reaction Weinstein's spokesman Juda Engelmayer released a statement by email following the ruling. > "We are disappointed by todays decision and respectfully disagree with the Court of Appeals conclusions regarding the fairness of Mr Weinsteins trial. At the same time, the court correctly recognised that his sentence cannot stand." The statement acknowledged a defeat on the question of the convictions themselves while claiming a partial win on the sentencing question. ## What the Defense Argued Weinstein's legal team had been pushing for an entirely new trial in the Los Angeles case, not merely a revised sentence. Their appeal focused on what they described as an unfair restriction placed by Superior Court Judge Lisa B. Lench on testimony from the head of a film festival. The defense contended that blocking those questions left them unable to fully contest the credibility of the accuser's account before the jury. ## The Charges and the Woman Behind Jane Doe 1 The convictions that survived Friday's appeal comprised one rape count and two sexual assault counts. All three charges stemmed from an incident involving an Italian model and actor who was referred to throughout the criminal proceedings as Jane Doe 1. After the trial concluded, she came forward publicly under her own name, Evgeniya Chernyshova, when filing a civil lawsuit. Chernyshova testified that during the 2013 LA Italia Film Festival, Weinstein appeared uninvited at her hotel room and assaulted her. The defense maintained that trial lawyers were improperly denied the right to question Chernyshova about Facebook messages she had exchanged with festival head Pascal Vicedomini. Their argument was that those messages would have pointed to a sexual relationship between Chernyshova and Pascal Vicedomini, which they believed was relevant to how the jury should weigh her testimony. ## New York Case Dropped One Day Earlier The California ruling arrived the day after prosecutors in New York made a significant announcement of their own. On Thursday, they said they would not put Weinstein through a fourth trial there, dropping a case connected to the #MeToo era. The accuser in that New York matter said she was not in a position to face another round of testimony given what she had already endured through prior court proceedings. ## Custody Continues Despite Dropped Case Despite the dropped New York case, Weinstein has not been freed. He carries a separate sexual felony conviction in New York and continues to be held in custody. The New York rape charge had a turbulent legal path: an initial conviction was overturned, and two subsequent trials both ended with juries unable to reach a unanimous verdict. He is now waiting for a September date when New York will sentence him on the remaining assault conviction. ## How the Two Sentences Stack Up New York prosecutors are seeking a 20-year prison term in connection with that assault conviction. Whatever California sentence emerges from the new resentencing hearing would only begin after Weinstein finishes any New York prison term. That sequential arrangement means his time in custody continues regardless of where the California resentencing process lands. ## What this means for you - **For survivors and advocates:** This ruling shows that sexual assault convictions can hold up through an appeals process even against high-profile defendants, which may encourage others to pursue legal action. - **Legally:** Weinstein faces consecutive sentences in two states, meaning his custody will extend well into the future regardless of how the California resentencing hearing turns out. ## Questions & Answers ### 1. What did the California appeals court rule on Harvey Weinstein? The court upheld his 2022 rape and sexual assault convictions but ordered a fresh sentencing hearing, finding that the 16-year prison term could not stand. ### 2. What charges were upheld in the California case? One count of rape and two counts of sexual assault, all stemming from an incident involving Italian model and actor Evgeniya Chernyshova. ### 3. What argument did Weinstein's defense make in the appeal? The defense argued that the trial judge unfairly restricted testimony from a film festival head and that lawyers were wrongly blocked from questioning the accuser about Facebook messages with festival head Pascal Vicedomini. ### 4. What happened with the New York case? New York prosecutors announced on Thursday they would not pursue a fourth trial in a separate MeToo-era case, though Weinstein remains convicted of another sexual felony in New York. ### 5. Is Weinstein still in custody? Yes, he remains in custody due to a separate New York sexual felony conviction and is awaiting a September sentencing date. ### 6. How much prison time is being sought in New York? New York prosecutors are seeking a 20-year prison term for the remaining assault conviction. ### 7. When would Weinstein begin serving the California sentence? He would start serving the California sentence only after completing his New York prison term, meaning both sentences run consecutively. ### 8. What did Evgeniya Chernyshova testify to in court? She testified that Weinstein arrived uninvited at her hotel room during the 2013 LA Italia Film Festival and assaulted her there. --- _TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.. Machine-readable view; canonical HTML at the URL above._