Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has been convicted of three counts and faces 18 years in prison.
On Monday, a Los Angeles jury found Harvey Weinstein guilty of one count of rape and two counts of sexual assault.
After 10 days of deliberation, the jury failed to reach a verdict on the rape charges of Jennifer Seibel Newsom, wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom, and the sexual assault charge of Lauren Young. Weinstein was acquitted of the alleged sexual assault of masseuse Juls Bindi at a Beverly Hills hotel in May 2010.
Siebel Newsom, who publicly identified as Jane Doe 4, said during the trial that Weinstein invited her to the Peninsula Hotel in 2005 with the promise of discussing her acting career. He then allegedly forced her to perform sexual acts despite her protests.
Young, who also testified in Weinstein’s previous case in New York, said Weinstein assaulted her in a hotel room at the Montage Beverly Hills in February 2013. If the prosecutor decides to file another case against Mr. Weinstein for (Lauren Young) on this charge, she would be ready to testify for the third time in another trial, she is completely committed to this casesays Young’s attorney, Gloria Allred, to RollingStone. That said, she is very happy that he was convicted on (the other counts), and that means he will be sentenced to prison for these charges, so she is happy that justice is served today. »
Harvey Weinstein is currently facing a maximum of 18 years in prison for his three convictions, but that figure could rise to a maximum of 24 years.
” I want to thank the victims in this case, who showed extraordinary bravery in a case that put them in the national spotlight.Los Angeles County Attorney Gascón said in a statement. Reporting a sexual assault is never easy. Submitting to sometimes brutal cross-examination can be traumatic and extraordinarily painful. I am impressed by their bravery. They deserve better than what the system gave them. »
Monday’s verdict came nearly three years after another jury found Weinstein guilty on similar charges in New York. In that case, he had been sentenced to 23 years in prison. Weinstein was therefore in custody throughout the Los Angeles trial.
In his closing argument on December 1, defense attorney Alan Jackson argued that Siebel Newsom had ” transactional sex with Weinstein to further his career. He claimed Bindi did the same, saying she sought a book deal with Weinstein after his alleged assault, despite Bindi’s testimony to the contrary.
The Los Angeles trial took on added importance after a surprise ruling in August revived the appeal of his conviction in New York. A senior appeals judge granted a new review of his case after the First Judiciary Department of the New York Supreme Court’s Appellate Division denied his appeal in June. If Weinstein loses, he will likely serve his 23-year sentence in New York, regardless of what happens in California. If he wins in New York, the Los Angeles County case could determine how he spends the rest of his life.
Meanwhile, outside the US, UK prosecutors also announced in June that they had ” authorized » two charges of ” molestation against Weinstein, related to an incident in 1996.
Regardless of the outcome of those lawsuits, Weinstein’s reputation and career are dead and buried after more than a hundred women, including actresses Ashley Judd, Annabella Sciorra, Mira Sorvino, Salma Hayek, Rosanna Arquette, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paz de la Huerta and Asia Argento have come forward to claim Weinstein harassed or sexually assaulted them.
Nancy Dillon, Larisha Paul
Translated by the editor
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