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Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was found guilty on Monday of rape and sexual assault by one of four women he was accused of assaulting in Los Angeles — at the center of allegations that fueled the global #MeToo movement. A significant sentence in another trial of a person.
Weinstein, who said he used his Hollywood influence to lure and assault women in private meetings, was found guilty of three of the seven charges against him.
After weeks of emotional testimony and 10 days of deliberations, jurors in Los Angeles acquitted Weinstein of one count of sexual battery by restraint against a massage therapist in a hotel room in 2010. They were a hung jury on one count of sexual battery by restraint, one count of forcible oral intercourse and one count of rape related to two other women — including Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a film producer, and Gavin Newsom, the first partner of California Gov.
The three charges of which Weinstein was convicted — rape, sexual penetration by a foreign object and forcible oral sex — were all tied to one of the accusers, a model and actress who assaulted the movie mogul in a Beverly Hills hotel room in February 2013. was attacked.
The woman, identified in court as Jane Doe 1, was the first to testify at the trial.
“Harvey Weinstein destroyed a part of me forever that night in 2013. I’ll never get that back. The criminal trial was brutal. Weinstein’s lawyers put me through hell on the witness stand. But I knew I had to see it through to the end, and I did… I hope Harvey Weinstein never sees outside a prison cell during his lifetime,” Jane Doe 1 said in a statement released through her attorney. said in the statement.
Weinstein pleaded not guilty to all seven charges against him.
Weinstein spokeswoman Juda Engelmayer said in a statement: “Harvey is obviously disappointed, though there is hope because this particular accuser has good grounds to appeal based on the time and place of the alleged events.” “She is grateful that the jury took its time to deliberate on other matters and looks forward to continuing to fight for her innocence.”
For the Los Angeles conviction, Weinstein could face a possible sentence of 24 years in prison, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office. The once-powerful filmmaker is already serving a 23-year sentence for a 2020 New York rape conviction.
Jurors will return to court Tuesday to help determine the outcome of Weinstein’s sentencing hearing, according to the DA’s office.
Officials said the district attorney’s office will meet to determine whether the jurors can’t agree on which points.
Elizabeth Fagen, an attorney representing Siebel Newsom, who was identified in court as Jane Doe 4, said she was disappointed that the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on the charges against her client.
“Harvey Weinstein will never be able to rape another woman again. He will spend the rest of his life behind bars where he belongs. Harvey Weinstein is a serial predator and what he did was rape,” Seibel Newsom said in a statement. During the trial, Weinstein’s lawyers used sexism, misogyny, and intimidation tactics to intimidate, belittle, and ridicule us survivors. The trial was a stark reminder that we as a society To work in. To all the survivors – I see you, I hear you, and I stand with you.
Gov. Newsom also released a statement, saying, “I am so proud of my wife and all of the brave women who came forward to share their truths and uplift the countless survivors who cannot. Their strength , courage and conviction are a powerful example and inspiration to all of us. We must continue to fight to ensure that survivors are supported and their voices are heard.”
The Los Angeles jury reached its verdict after deliberating a total of 41 hours – longer than the New York jury in Weinstein’s first criminal trial, which found him guilty of criminal sexual act and third-degree rape after 26 hours of deliberation. was convicted. His attorneys have appealed that conviction, which drew much attention to the outcome of the trial in Los Angeles.
Jane Doe 2, identified as Lauren Young, told her attorney, Gloria Allred, by phone that she was pleased that Weinstein had been convicted on some counts, despite her being at fault on the counts, Allred said after the verdict. later said at a news conference.
“I am relieved that Harvey Weinstein has been convicted because he deserves to be punished for the crimes he committed, and that he can no longer use his power to intimidate and sexually assault more women.” , ” Young said in a statement read by Allred.
The week-long trial saw emotional testimony from Weinstein’s accusers – a model, a dancer, a massage therapist and Siebel Newsom – all of whom were asked to detail their allegations against him, years before the producer Provide details of meetings with, and explain their response to, the alleged attacks.
Weinstein initially faced 11 charges, but four charges involving an unnamed woman were dropped without explanation. He did not testify at the trial.
In closing arguments, Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Marlene Martinez called Weinstein a “titan” who used his power in Hollywood to victimize and silence women.
“Rapists rape. You can see the pattern,” fellow prosecutor Paul Thompson told jurors.
Meanwhile, Weinstein’s lawyers said the allegations were either fabricated or engaged in a consensual relationship as part of a “transactional relationship” with the filmmaker, repeatedly saying there was no evidence of assault.
Defense attorney Alan Jackson called the accusers “fame and fortune seekers”.
The trial in Los Angeles also included testimony from other witnesses, including experts, law enforcement, friends of the accused and former associates of Weinstein.
Additionally, four women testified that they were subjected to similar treatment by Weinstein in other jurisdictions.
Each morning during the trial, Weinstein was brought from a correctional facility and escorted to a Los Angeles courtroom wearing a suit and tie and holding a composition notebook.
Her accusers often began her emotional testimonies in the courtroom by identifying her as something she had seen.
“He’s wearing a suit and a blue tie and he’s staring at me,” Seibel Newsom said last month, in what was one of the most emotional moments of the trial. She testified that Weinstein raped her in a hotel room in 2005.
During the trial, defense attorney Jackson asked the jurors if they could “accept what (Jane does) as gospel,” arguing that what he said was forensic evidence supporting his claim. There was a lack of evidence.
“Five words that sum up the entirety of the prosecution’s case: ‘Take my word for it,'” Jackson said. “‘Take my word that he came to my hotel room without telling me. Take my word for it that I showed up at his hotel room. Take my word for it that I didn’t consent. Take my word that I said no. ‘ ,
Seibel Newsom described an hour-long “cat and mouse period” that preceded his alleged assault. She, like the other accused, described feeling “frozen” that day.
Weinstein’s attorneys did not deny the incident, but said they believe it was consensual.
Jackson called the incident “consensual, transactional sex”, and added: “Regret is not the same as rape. And it’s important that we make that distinction in this courtroom.”
In her closing arguments, Martinez highlighted women who chose to do so in order to testify, despite knowing they would face difficult circumstances in court.
“The truth is, as you sit here, we know the defendant’s despicable behavior. He thought he was so powerful that people … would condone his behavior,” Martinez said. “It’s just Harvey Harvey. That’s just Hollywood. And that’s what everyone did for so long. Everyone turned their heads.
