Harvey Weinstein Receives 16 Year Prison Term in Rape Case

By Elena Gilbert On Feb 25, 2023

Harvey Weinstein, a former Hollywood mogul and convicted rapist, will now spend the rest of his life in prison after receiving a 16-year sentence. On Thursday morning, nearly two months after the conclusion of Weinstein’s trial in Los Angeles, where a jury found him guilty on three charges of rape and s*exual assault, a sentencing hearing was held in downtown Los Angeles.

After being found guilty of rape and s*exual assault in New York at his criminal trial in 2020, Weinstein is already serving a 23-year sentence there. Weinstein will serve his Los Angeles sentence following his New York sentence, the judge ruled on Thursday.

Before he was sentenced, Weinstein addressed the court, making one final plea to Judge Lisa B. Lench. Weinstein said:

“I maintain that I’m innocent,”

He said:

“This is about money and coming after me,”

“Please don’t sentence me to life in prison. I don’t deserve it… There are so many things wrong with this case. There is no evidence… This is a setup… I beg your mercy.”

Weinstein’s defense, led by Mark Werksman and Alan Jackson, asked the judge to sentence him to three years per charge, urging her to look to the man he was “before he became accused as a s*exual predator,” and saying that he has:

“become a caricature because of the #MeToo movement.”

His attorney noted that Weinstein has medical issues and is a father. He said:

“He’s a 70-year-old man in bad health,”

“He lived a full, rich and productive life that included being a father five children… He has become to his children the disembodied voice on the telephone.”

Werksman hailed Weinstein’s work in the entertainment industry, urging the judge to recognize his accomplishments:

“Mr. Weinstein did a lot of good for a lot of people in a 50-year career,”

Werksman said.

“He produced hundreds of films that were a joy to millions of people… He was a man that many famous movie stars would thank in their Oscar speeches… He gave generously to charities and political causes.”

After Weinstein and his attorneys spoke, the judge sentenced Weinstein to 16 years for the three charges on which the jury found him guilty. Lench said:

“These are not easy decisions to make, but this is my decision,”

Jane Doe #1, a European model who stated Weinstein s*exually assaulted her at the Mr. C Hotel following the 2013 L.A. Italia Film Festival, served as the basis for all three of the allegations on which Weinstein was found guilty. Joe Doe #1, alongside her daughter, appeared in court to deliver an emotional victim impact statement, crying throughout as she spoke at a podium.

She urged the judge to put Weinstein behind bars for life:

“There is no prison sentence long enough to erase the damage,” she said. “I hope you give him the maximum sentence allowed.”

She said, addressing the judge:

“It is extremely difficult for me to stand here, ten years later, as the effects of this rape are still raw, and difficult to discuss. I have been carrying this weight, this trauma, this irrational belief that it was my fault for years,”

“His selfish, disgusting actions have greatly impacted me and my life. What he did to me was horrible.”

Jane Doe #1 was visibly crying as Weinstein spoke, and her sobs could be heard above his. Weinstein claimed to the judge that Jane Doe #1 had made up the entire rape and insisted that he had never even touched her or committed any s*exual assault.

Weinstein said:

“The fact is I don’t know this woman and she doesn’t know me,”

“This is a made up story. With all due respect, Jane Doe #1 is an actress and can turn on the tears… This isn’t true.”

Jane Doe #1 has been the center of attention for Weinstein’s team, who used her as support for their demand for a fresh trial with a new jury, which the judge rejected on Thursday morning before the sentencing. Their appeal will probably center on Jane Doe #1.

According to Weinstein’s attorneys, the court erroneously barred them from presenting pertinent facts and arguments, particularly those about Jane Doe #1. Before the sentencing, Jackson delivered a lengthy discussion about why Weinstein should be granted a new trial, alleging that the judge “allowed perjury on the stand” from Jane Doe #1.

He said the defense was “sandbagged by a lie told on the stand,” and claimed the jury “got sucked into the lies of Jane Doe #1.” Two jurors were seated in the gallery on Thursday, which Weinstein referenced to the judge as support for him. Weinstein’s attorneys said to the jury:

“would never have voted to convict if they knew the truth.”

Lead prosecutor, deputy D.A. Paul Thompson, jabbed back at Weinstein’s attorneys, exclaiming:

“It is certainly not the defense’s job to go hunt down jurors.”

The court stated that it was “speculative” and “inappropriate” to speculate on whether the jury would have changed their finding based on material that had not been presented during the trial before refusing Weinstein’s motion for a new trial. On Thursday afternoon, the two present jurors chatted with reporters in the hallway shortly after the court was adjourned.

They claimed to have spoken with the defense and expressed an interest in attending Weinstein’s sentence to learn more. “I was never here to advocate,” a juror named Michael told Variety:

“There is so much we don’t know in this case. The more info, the better because it helps flesh it out.”

https://twitter.com/krassenstein/status/1628903363818528768

A juror named Jay said, “We weren’t on anybody’s side,” and expressed that even with more evidence, he’s unsure whether he would have changed his conviction. Jay said:

“I don’t know if he would have been acquitted. I don’t even know if it’s true that she lied,”

“I don’t feel bad,” he said of Weinstein. “We knew he was going to get sentenced.”

The conviction of Weinstein Thursday, who will turn 71 years old next month, virtually guarantees that he will spend the rest of his life behind bars. This represents a stunning fall from grace for the Oscar winner who once ruled Hollywood and was one of the most influential figures in the entertainment business.

Yet, his team continues to push for Weinstein’s release. On Thursday, Werksman and Jackson announced they plan to challenge the Los Angeles conviction. The highest court in New York, the Court of Appeals, decided to hear Weinstein’s appeal of his 2020 conviction for s*ex crimes.

In his Los Angeles trial, which lasted from October through December 2022, the prosecution contended that Weinstein was a predator who used his position to seduce and assault women in hotel rooms under the pretense of a meeting or audition. The defense contended that because of Weinstein’s power in the entertainment industry, the women willingly participated in “transactional s*ex.”

In Los Angeles, Weinstein was initially charged with 11 crimes, but four of them—all of them involved Jane Doe #5—were later dropped. The jury returned a mixed decision, convicting him on the three counts related to Jane Doe #1 but clearing him of the charge of s*xually assaulting Jane Doe #3, a massage therapist.

In the case, Lauren Young, an aspiring actor, and playwright was identified as Jane Doe #2, and Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the First Partner of California, was identified as Jane Doe #4. They were two further accusers, but they were unable to come to a unanimous decision. Regarding the three charges, the judge declared a mistrial.

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More than 100 women have publicly accused Weinstein of s*exual assault, abuse, and harassment that allegedly occurred over decades. The narrative of his survivors coming forward even served as the inspiration for a major studio film, “She Said,” which was released in theaters last year.

His historic fall served as the spark that ignited #MeToo in 2017. Weinstein has steadfastly defended his innocence and denied all allegations of rape and assault, and his legal team has frequently claimed that their client has been wrongfully portrayed as the face of the #MeToo movement.

Please do not hesitate to leave a comment below if you have any further questions about his passing. You might also consider adding domaintrip.com to your list of bookmarks.