Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is calling on lawmakers to change the law to help survivors of sex assault get justice. Bragg wants to allow prosecutors to include testimony about previous ‘bad acts’ against defendants, so that all accusers’ voices can be heard.
Background
This comes after Bragg’s office opted not to retry movie mogul Harvey Weinstein on a rape charge. Weinstein was previously convicted in 2020, but the conviction was overturned in 2024. Bragg’s office is now focused on supporting survivors, including Jessica Mann, who accused Weinstein of rape.
Mann wrote a letter to the court saying she could no longer endure going through the trial process. Bragg said Mann’s letter was ‘sobering and heartbreaking.’ He also said that his office is working with lawmakers to change the law to allow for more evidence to be presented in cases like Weinstein’s.
Proposed Law Change
Coordinated bills have been introduced in the New York State Assembly and Senate to amend state criminal law to allow evidence of other crimes or acts to prove matters such as motive, intent, and planning. Bragg said that this change is necessary to support survivors and ensure that they get the justice they deserve.
RAINN, a organization that campaigns against sexual violence, says that 98% of perpetrators are never held fully accountable through the criminal justice system. Bragg said that his office is committed to supporting survivors and working to change the law to make it easier for them to get justice.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
