The disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced by a courtroom in Los Angeles to a further 16 years in jail for rape and sexual assault.
The jail time period, together with the 23 years he obtained in 2020 for the same conviction in New York, quantities to a possible life sentence for the 70-year-old.
The brand new sentence got here after a jury discovered him responsible of attacking an Italian actress and mannequin, recognized solely as Jane Doe #1, throughout a movie pageant in Los Angeles in 2013.
Weinstein, who denied the fees, begged to keep away from being given a life time period as he appealed on to the choose within the courtroom the place he sat in a wheelchair, carrying a jail uniform.
“I preserve that I’m harmless. I by no means raped or sexually assaulted Jane Doe #1," he mentioned.
The girl who Weinstein was convicted of raping sobbed within the courtroom as he spoke. Moments earlier she had instructed the choose in regards to the ache she felt after being attacked by Weinstein.
“Earlier than that evening I used to be a really completely happy and assured girl. I valued myself and the connection I had with God,” she mentioned via tears. “I used to be enthusiastic about my future. The whole lot modified after the defendant brutally assaulted me. There isn't any jail sentence lengthy sufficient to undo the harm.”
In December jurors convicted Weinstein of 1 depend of rape and two counts of sexual assault towards the lady. On the trial’s opening in October she gave a dramatic and emotional account of how Weinstein arrived uninvited at her lodge room on the pageant within the run-up to the Oscars, talked his approach in and assaulted her.
Decide Lisa B. Lench sentenced Weinstein to eight years for a forcible rape depend, six years for forcible oral copulation and two years for forcible penetration with a international object, for a mixed 16 years.
Weinstein's lawyer cited the producer's age and really poor well being, suggesting an extended sentence would make it unlikely he would ever see his 5 youngsters exterior of jail.
“Mr Weinstein did plenty of good for lots of people in a 50 yr profession, “ Mark Werksman instructed the choose. ”He was a person that many well-known film stars would thank of their Oscar speeches.”
Jane Doe #1 might be heard crying in courtroom all through Werksman and Weinstein's remarks to the choose.
The producer accused the actress of constructing her story up. "Jane Doe #1 is an actress. She will flip the tears on,” mentioned Weinstein, who insisted he had by no means met the lady. “Please don’t sentence me to life in jail. I don’t deserve it. There are such a lot of issues improper with this case.”
The jury acquitted Weinstein of the sexual battery of a therapeutic massage therapist and failed to achieve verdicts on counts involving two different girls.
“Right this moment, justice prevailed for survivors," the therapeutic massage therapist, identified throughout trial as Jane Doe #3, mentioned in a press release issued via her legal professional after the sentencing. “No girl has to worry Harvey Weinstein once more as he won't ever depart jail.”
The most recent sentence exacerbates the autumn of the onetime film magnate who grew to become a magnet for the #MeToo motion.
New York's highest courtroom has agreed to listen to his enchantment in his rape and sexual assault convictions there. And prosecutors in Los Angeles have but to say whether or not they may retry Weinstein on counts they have been unable to achieve a verdict on. A listening to on the attainable retrial is scheduled for subsequent month.
He might be eligible for parole in New York in 2039.
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