Harvey Weinstein Receives 16-Year Sentence for Sex Crimes in Los Angeles

In December, a woman accused Harvey Weinstein of rape and sexual assault, resulting in his conviction.

After sparking the #MeToo movement in 2017 with his treatment of women, Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for sex crimes committed in Los Angeles County. This additional sentence comes after Weinstein was already serving a 23-year term for sexual assault in New York in 2020. 

With declining health and the latest sentencing, it is likely that the former Hollywood mogul, now 70 years old, will spend the remainder of his life in prison.

In December, Harvey Weinstein faced a jury in Los Angeles Superior Court and was found guilty on three counts, including forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, and sexual penetration by a foreign object. 

These charges stemmed from an incident in which a woman, referred to as Jane Doe 1, accused Weinstein of raping her at a hotel during the Los Angeles Italia Film Festival in 2013. Despite the possibility of up to 24 years in prison under California law, Weinstein received a 16-year sentence for these convictions. 

However, the former film producer was not found guilty on four other allegations, including a sexual battery charge involving a massage therapist. Additionally, the jury was unable to reach a verdict on two counts related to accusations made by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the wife of Governor Gavin Newsom, as well as one count stemming from allegations by Lauren Young, a model and screenwriter.

What happened in the hearing and what Jane Doe 1 said?

Following the sentencing on Thursday, Harvey Weinstein’s defense lawyer, Alan Jackson, stated his intention to file an appeal in the Los Angeles case.  

Only Jane Doe 1 was permitted to deliver a victim statement in court during the sentencing hearing. She was visibly emotional, shedding tears at times, and was comforted by her daughter. She expressed her belief that she had done something wrong for years and her feelings of heartbreak, emptiness, and isolation.

“I’ve fallen apart on the inside,” Jane Doe 1 said. “He broke me into a million pieces.”

Initially regarded as symbolic, the Los Angeles trial gained importance after Harvey Weinstein was granted the ability to appeal his New York conviction. This development meant that the outcome of the California case could now be decisive in determining his ultimate fate.

Other allegations on Harvey Weinstein

Over 90 women have accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct. In 2017, multiple women publicly shared their allegations in a New York Times investigation, which helped to galvanize the #MeToo movement and brought to light sexual harassment and assault by powerful individuals.

During his appearance in court on Thursday, Harvey Weinstein was dressed in a beige prison jumpsuit and was seated in a wheelchair marked “Los Angeles County Jail.” He accused Jane Doe 1 of being motivated by money, citing her pending civil suit against him.

What Harvey Weinstein stated?

“I never sexually assaulted or raped Jane Doe 1,” Weinstein stated. “I have never met her, and the truth is, she doesn’t know me.”

Prosecutors aimed to establish Weinstein’s pattern of behavior through the testimony of four witnesses whose allegations led to the seven criminal counts. They also presented allegations made by four other women who testified that he had abused them.

The defense contended that the women had consensual relationships with Harvey Weinstein and engaged in sexual activity with him in exchange for professional favors. They also argued that some of the women’s recollections were inaccurate.

During the cross-examination of Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Mark Werksman, one of Weinstein’s lawyers, accused her of changing her perception of her experience with him only after the emergence of the #MeToo movement in 2017. At one point, he called her “just another bimbo who slept with Harvey Weinstein to get ahead” in front of the jury.

Jennifer Siebel Newsom testified over two days and recounted how Harvey Weinstein had raped her in his Beverly Hills hotel room in 2005. She revealed that she had not spoken out earlier because she had tried to suppress the incident and move forward with her life.

Mr. Weinstein’s defense lawyers requested a new trial, claiming that the jury was improperly instructed and that certain evidence related to Jane Doe 1 was excluded. They obtained affidavits from jurors who said they would have made different decisions if they had heard that evidence, according to Mr. Jackson, who told the court about it.

Judge Lisa B. Lench denied their request on Thursday.

Debra Katz, a lawyer representing one of the accusers in the case, expressed hope that Mr. Weinstein’s conviction would encourage other victims of sexual harassment to come forward.

After the sentencing, Ms. Katz stated, “I think courage begets courage.”

#MeToo leaders cautioned that the trial’s outcome should not be considered an indicator of the movement’s strength. Ms. Katz stated that Mr. Weinstein’s conviction indicated that the courts could be a successful avenue for sexual assault victims seeking justice.

“It appears that prosecutors will continue to pursue these cases, and individuals accused and convicted of sexual violence will face lengthy prison terms,” she remarked. “Whenever there is a setback, people ask, ‘Is the movement over?’ Absolutely not. There will always be setbacks, but there is no turning back.”