Harvey Weinstein received additional 16 years in prison for sexual assault
2023.02.23 16:04
Harvey Weinstein received additional 16 years in prison for sexual assault
By Tiffany Smith
Budrigannews.com – The former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein was given a sentence of 16 more years in prison for rape and sexual assault on Thursday in Los Angeles. In New York, he was already serving a sentence of 23 years in prison.
Weinstein spoke in court prior to the sentence and continued to deny any wrongdoing, calling the case a “setup.”
I insist that I am not guilty. Jane Doe 1 was never raped or sexually assaulted by me. This woman doesn’t know me, and I never knew her. He stated, “This is about money.”
He continued, “Please don’t sentence me to life in prison.” It is not due to me.
His attorneys claimed that he was a 70-year-old man in poor health and requested a sentence concurrent with his ongoing 23-year sentence.
The model and actress Jane Doe 1 also explained to the judge how the assault had changed her. Her testimony was the core of the convictions.
Before that night, I had a lot of happiness and self-assurance. I valued both my relationship with God and myself. She stated, “I was excited about my future.” After the defendant brutally assaulted me, everything changed.
Because he chose me that night, I believed I had done something wrong. For him to do that to me, I thought I had done something wrong. I soon disappeared, both to myself and to the outside world. I’ve lost who I am. I was empty, alone, and heartbroken.
After Jane Doe 1 testified that he assaulted her in a Beverly Hills hotel room in February 2013, Weinstein, 70, was found guilty in December of rape, sexual penetration by a foreign object, and forcible oral copulation.
In addition, Weinstein was found not guilty of one charge, and the jury was unable to reach a consensus on three additional charges, one of which was against filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. During the trial, four charges related to an unidentified woman who did not testify were also dropped.
Since reporting by The New York Times and The New Yorker in 2017 revealed Weinstein’s alleged history of sexual abuse, harassment, and secret settlements as he used his influence as a Hollywood power broker to take advantage of young women, the sentence was Weinstein’s second on sexual assault charges.
One of Hollywood’s most powerful men at the time, Weinstein contributed to the production of films like “Pulp Fiction,” “Clerks,” and “Shakespeare in Love.” The revelations sparked the #MeToo movement, which saw a flurry of women speaking out about the widespread problem of sexual harassment and abuse.
After being found guilty of a first-degree criminal sexual act and a third-degree rape in New York in 2020, the disgraced movie producer is currently serving a sentence of 23 years in prison. He has pursued the conviction.
What transpired during the trial in Los Angeles
Prosecutors in the Los Angeles trial, like in the New York trial, said that Weinstein was a powerful Hollywood figure who used his influence to get women into private meetings, assault them, and then keep any accusations quiet.
All of Weinstein’s accusers, including a model, a dancer, a massage therapist, and Siebel Newsom, gave emotional testimony at the trial. They were asked to describe the specifics of their allegations against him, provide details about meetings they had with the producer years ago, and explain how they felt about the alleged assaults.
Jane Doe 1, whose testimony was connected to the convictions, claimed that Weinstein attempted to rape her in her hotel room.
I desired to die. It was repugnant. It was miserable and humiliating. In court, she testified, “I didn’t fight.” He was telling me to look at him while he was looking in the mirror, as I recall. I sincerely hope this never happens to me.
Prosecutors said in their opening statements on Monday that eight women who claim Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted them will testify at his criminal trial in Los Angeles over the next few weeks.
A pool report quotes prosecutor Paul Thompson as saying to the jury, “Each of these women came forward independently, and none of them knew one another.”
These are the women who testified against Harvey Weinstein during his second sexual assault trial. Eight women in total said that they were harmed during the trial. Four women testified about their alleged assaults, and four more women testified as “prior bad acts” witnesses, which means that their testimony was not directly related to a charge but could be taken into consideration by prosecutors as they tried to demonstrate that Weinstein had a pattern of behavior.
The allegations against Weinstein, which he had pleaded not guilty to, were said to have been fabricated or to have occurred by consent as part of a “transactional relationship” with the movie producer, according to his defense attorneys.
Alan Jackson, the defense attorney, stated, “Regret is not the same thing as rape.” In this courtroom, it is essential that we make that distinction.”
The jury could not agree on the aggravating factors that could have resulted in a harsher sentence for him after convicting him.
An attorney for Siebel Newsom and Ashley Matthau, who both testified at the trial, praised the sentence and their decision to testify in a statement after Thursday’s sentencing.
Attorney Elizabeth Fegan stated, “Their testimony gave them the power to reclaim their voices, both for themselves and on behalf of the many other women who were abused by Harvey Weinstein.” It can’t get rid of the trauma they’ve gone through, but it can make things better and give other survivors hope.
