Harvey Weinstein Receives 16-Year Prison Term in Rape Case
Harvey Weinstein is now more likely to spend the rest of his life in prison after being given a 16-year prison extension on Thursday for the rape of a woman in a Beverly Hills hotel room.
Following the completion of his 23-year term for another New York sex crimes conviction, Weinstein was ordered by a Los Angeles court to serve the most recent sentence — for the assault of a Foreign actress a decade ago.
The Oscar-winning producer of “Shakespeare in Love,” who was in a wheelchair, implored the judge for “mercy” when appearing in court.
“Please don’t give me a life sentence. I’m not worthy of it. This case is filled with so many issues, he remarked.
He was nonetheless given three consecutive sentences totaling 16 years by Judge Lisa Lench for forceful rape, forcible oral copulation, and sexual penetration by a foreign object.
The unnamed actress had pleaded with the judge to impose “the greatest penalty permissible” on Weinstein.
She claimed, “His selfish, despicable behaviors have seriously affected my life.”
“The damage cannot be repaired by a prison sentence of sufficient length.”
Weinstein’s attorneys stated they want to appeal the Los Angeles conviction and sentence right now, which was revealed by a jury in December.
Explicit reports of encounters between the formerly powerful film producer and a number of young ladies looking to get into Hollywood were presented throughout the trial.
Due of his then-powerful position in the industry, prosecutors claim Weinstein used and assaulted women for years while enjoying a long period of impunity.
If the women had publicly accused Weinstein at the time, they would have run the risk of losing their chances of landing future Hollywood jobs, according to the prosecution.
In the Los Angeles case, Weinstein was ultimately found guilty of assaulting one woman but freed of charges of sexual battery against a second woman.
Charges against two other women, one of whom was named by her attorneys as Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the current wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom, were not resolved by the jury.
Just before the sentence was to begin on Thursday, the defense’s motion for a fresh trial or a lesser verdict was rejected.
Weinstein’s attorneys asserted that their cross-examination was constrained and that they were barred from introducing crucial information concerning the rape victim, such as Facebook messages with a purported boyfriend that the judge deemed irrelevant.
Yet, according to Lench, the evidence had been “properly excluded.”
#MeToo
Years of whispers about Weinstein’s behavior had circulated in the entertainment industry, but due to his position of influence in Hollywood, few people were ready to openly criticize him.
In 2017, shocking claims against him surfaced, sparking the #MeToo movement and enabling hundreds of women to speak out against sexual harassment at work.
Numerous women have now accused Weinstein of acting in a sexual manner.
Weinstein lost his initial appeal in New York’s intermediate appellate court in June against his criminal conviction and sentence.
He has, however, also filed a second appeal in that matter with the New York Court of Appeals.
After his conviction in New York, scores of other women who had accused the former movie mogul of abuse received $17 million in a civil trial.
The actress from Europe who accused Weinstein of rape in Los Angeles filed a lawsuit against him earlier this month.
In the civil lawsuit, negligence, false detention, intentional infliction of mental distress, and sexual battery are all alleged.
According to her case, Weinstein’s actions were reprehensible and motivated by malice, oppression, and deception, which supported the imposition of punitive damages against him.
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