Harvey Weinstein is found guilty on three charges of sex crimes
Former film producer and convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty on multiple sex crime charges in the second trial that took place in Los Angeles.
Previously, in March of 2020, Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison. Although his legal team appealed the decision, the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department upheld the initial verdict earlier this year. However, Weinstein was granted the opportunity to make a further appeal before the New York Court of Appeals.
Weinstein was later extradited to California for a second criminal trial following the complications caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Initially, the ex-Hollywood executive was charged with 11 counts of rape, forcible oral copulation and sexual battery, which allegedly took place between 2004 and 2013. While four of those charges were dropped, the Los Angeles jury found Weinstein guilty of three charges on Monday, December 19th.
According to the report published by Deadline, the jury found Weinstein guilty on all charges when it came to Jane Doe #1 and not guilty of sexual battery in relation to Jane Doe #2. In addition, the jury was hung on charges relating to Jane Doe #3 and Jane Doe #4, also known as Jennifer Siebel Newsom. These latest guilty charges imply a potential sentencing of anywhere between 18 to 24 years in prison.
When Weinstein initially pleaded not guilty to all the 11 charges brought against him, he was faced with a maximum sentence of 60 years to life plus five. The jury, which consisted of eight men and four women, reached the decision after two weeks of deliberation. During that time, Judge Lench ensured that little to no updates about the jury were picked up by media outlets.
Following the verdict, LA County D.A. George Gascón issued a public statement: “I am, of course, disappointed that the jury was split on some of the counts, but hope its partial verdicts bring at least some measure of justice to the victims. Our team will meet to determine whether or not we intend to retry the counts that were hung.”
As reported by BBC, Jane Doe #1 – a model who alleged that Weinstein raped her in 2013 – also commented on the trial. She said: “Harvey Weinstein forever destroyed a part of me that night in 2013, and I will never get that back. The criminal trial was brutal, and Weinstein’s lawyers put me through hell on the witness stand, but I knew I had to see this through to the end, and I did. I hope Weinstein never sees the outside of a prison cell during his lifetime.”
Jennifer Siebel Newsom also criticised the conduct of Weinstein’s legal team in the trial. Newsom pointed out: “Throughout the trial, Weinstein’s lawyers used sexism, misogyny, and bullying tactics to intimidate, demean, and ridicule us survivors. The trial was a stark reminder that we as a society have work to do.”
While Weinstein is currently preparing his appeal against the prior New York conviction, more than 80 individuals have come forward with multiple accusations of sex crimes against him.
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