A jury in California found the former Hollywood mogul guilty of, among other things, rape. The penalty will only be announced.
A jury in California found the former Hollywood mogul guilty of three counts of sex crimes, including rape, in the Harvey Weinstein criminal trial. The panel announced this to the Los Angeles court on Monday after days of deliberations. He was acquitted on one point and there was no agreement on three other points.
The jury, eight men and four women, had to reach a unanimous verdict on each charge. They failed on three counts. Their deliberations lasted more than 40 hours over ten days.
There were seven charges, including rape and other sexual assaults. The allegations came from four women over a period from 2004 to 2013. Most of the assaults reportedly took place in Beverly Hills hotels. Weinstein, 70, faces a long prison sentence.
Already sentenced to 23 years in prison
With the trial in California, Weinstein was again tried for sexual assault. A 2020 New York City rape and sexual assault trial ended with a guilty verdict of two counts and a 23-year sentence. Its legal team recently appealed this decision. A decision on this is still pending.
At the trial in California, which lasted several weeks, the four plaintiffs described alleged assaults by Weinstein, sometimes tearfully and in drastic detail. According to Weinstein’s defense attorneys, either the sexual acts were consensual or some of the allegations made were fabricated by the women. According to Weinstein’s lawyers, the plaintiffs had sex with the influential film producer to get ahead in Hollywood.
Prosecutors portrayed the accused as a “degenerate rapist” who used his power to attack women and act as a predator.
Weinstein is accused by more than 80 women
Among the plaintiffs was Jennifer Siebel, the current wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom. As an aspiring actress and producer, she wanted to talk to Weinstein about professional projects in 2005, but was raped by him in a hotel room, she testified on the witness stand. The jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the two charges against Siebel.
Weinstein’s first trial in New York marked a milestone in legal history. The case significantly sparked the #MeToo movement at the time. Since 2017, more than 80 women have publicly accused Weinstein of sexual assault.
(APA/dpa)