New York lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow evidence of past sexual offenses to be introduced in sex crimes trials. The bill is named for Harvey Weinstein, the movie mogul whose rape conviction was tossed out by the state Court of Appeals because the trial judge allowed testimony about alleged incidents that were not part of the case. The bill has passed the state Senate, but it has met resistance in the Assembly, where some members have expressed concern it could have a disproportionate impact on men of color. But Assembly member Amy Paulin (D–Westchester), one of the bill's sponsors, says those concerns are overblown. "Most rapists that are serial rapists – which is what we're talking about here because multiple victims – are privileged white men," Paulin said.
