A former Hollywood producer, Harvey Weinstein, was sentenced to 16 years in prison on Thursday for a rape conviction in Los Angeles. This is on top of the more than 20 years he was given in New York.
In December, Weinstein, who is 70 years old, was found guilty in the Los Angeles case. This was three years after he was found guilty of s*x crimes in New York City.
Weinstein’s new sentence will be added to the 23 years he was given for s*x crimes in New York. This means he will spend 39 years in prison for s*x crimes.
In the Los Angeles case, a jury found Weinstein guilty on three counts related to the accuser known as Jane Doe 1: forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, and s*xual penetration by a foreign object.
The jury found him not guilty of s*xual battery by restraint in the case of Jane Doe 2, but they couldn’t decide what to do about Jane Doe 3 and Jane Doe 4’s accusations.
On Tuesday, Gloria Allred, an attorney for three women, filed a motion with the court because a judge wouldn’t let them read victim impact statements at the sentencing.
Allred’s sign says that the decision violates the rights of the women under Marsy’s Law, which gives the right to people who are hurt directly by a crime or are at risk of being hurt by it.
The judge did not delay the sentencing to hear Allred’s appeal, but Jane Doe 1 was allowed to speak to the court before the judge decided the sentence.
She told the court, through tears, “I was excited about my future.” “Everything changed after the defendant brutally assaulted me. … I soon became invisible to myself and to the world. I lost my identity. I was heartbroken, empty, and alone.”
In the Los Angeles case, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said that Weinstein could have gotten up to 24 years in prison.
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His lawyers asked for a new trial in an appeal, saying that evidence about a relationship between Jane Doe 1 and a witness, which could have changed the jury’s decision, was left out. Superior Court Judge Lisa B. Lench turned down the request.
Weinstein, who showed up in a wheelchair and a grey county jail uniform, was also allowed to speak. He said that he was not guilty and said that Jane Doe 1 was an “actress” who could “turn on” her tears.
“Please don’t sentence me to life in prison. I don’t deserve it,” Weinstein said. “There are so many things wrong with this case. … This is a setup.”
In a statement late Thursday, he said that Jane Doe 1 had lied about her claims to “get money.” He also said that she had lied about something.
“It is incredible to be convicted for a crime I wasn’t even present for. I am innocent. I never raped or assaulted anyone,” he said.
Weinstein is serving a 23-year prison sentence for rape. His trial was a turning point for the #MeToo movement. Weinstein’s spokesman, Juda Engelmayer, said that the punishment was harsh, given Weinstein’s age and health.
“There are many out there who will celebrate this action, but it is a sad day for justice and fairness, and I hope no one who is pleased with this is ever caught on the wrong side of cancel culture while hopelessly and voicelessly proclaiming innocence,” Engelmayer said.
Jane Doe 1’s lawyer, Dave Ring, said that the judge’s decision gave his client closure. He also said that his client had “tremendous courage” to come forward and testify.
“Jane Doe 1 withstood two full days of blistering cross-examination by Weinstein’s lawyers, but the jurors unanimously convicted him, and now he has been sentenced by the court,” Ring said.
In 2020, Weinstein was found guilty in New York of third-degree rape and first-degree criminal s*xual act against two women. One of the women was an aspiring actor, and the other was a production assistant for “Project Runway.” There is an appeal going on.
Weinstein pleaded not guilty in both trials and denied all charges of s*xual activity without consent. Weinstein gave up his right to be a witness in both tests.
In the 1990s and 2000s, Weinstein and his younger brother, Bob, were two of the biggest names in the movie business. They made movies like “Pulp Fiction” and “Shakespeare in Love” and “The King’s Speech,” which won Oscars.
In 2017, The New York Times and The New Yorker ran explosive stories about claims that Weinstein had a pattern of s*xual misconduct.
The #MeToo movement, which grew out of the stories about power abuse and s*xual harassment at work, is a result of the stories.
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