Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, that his office would not retry Harvey Weinstein on rape charges. The decision followed accuser Jessica Mann's refusal to testify again.

In an exclusive interview with CNN, Bragg stated that legislators must act to help sexual assault survivors obtain justice. He is seeking to allow prosecutors to present testimony regarding defendants' prior misconduct. "Estamos trabajando de cerca con miembros de la Legislatura para abordar este tema y modificar la ley," Bragg said. "No lo conseguimos este año, pero lo intentamos y volveremos el próximo año para tratar de cambiar la ley… y permitir que se admitan más pruebas de ese tipo."

Bragg's office made the decision not to retry Weinstein on a rape charge last month after Mann stated she could not endure appearing in court again. Mann waived her anonymity to send a letter to the court stating that testifying again, which would involve recounting her allegation that Weinstein raped her in a New York hotel in March 2013, caused her "deeper retraumatization and additional trauma." She wrote, "Durante el proceso judicial he sido fragmentada, silenciada, difamada y traumatizada." Bragg described Mann's letter as "sobering and heartbreaking."

Weinstein was convicted in 2020, but the New York Court of Appeals overturned his conviction in 2024. The court determined that testimony from witnesses claiming Weinstein used his Hollywood influence to exploit them was improperly admitted. Following this, Bragg initiated a new judicial process involving three charges related to three accusers. In the new trial, Weinstein was convicted of one count of criminal sexual act and acquitted of another charge. The judge declared a mistrial on the rape charge after the jury refused to continue deliberations. The rape charge was subjected to a third trial, but the jury failed to reach a verdict, resulting in another mistrial. Prosecutors plan to request a 20-year prison sentence for Weinstein for the criminal sexual act conviction.

Bills were introduced in the New York State Assembly and State Senate to modify state criminal law. These proposed bills would allow evidence regarding other crimes or acts to demonstrate aspects such as motive, intent, and planning. According to the State Legislature website, neither bill was voted on in committee or on the floor during the current legislative session.