Renowned former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein had his prison time extended after he was sentenced to another 16 years on rape and sexual assault charges in Los Angeles on Thursday.
The 70-year-old filmmaker was convicted by the Los Angeles County Superior Court of using his influence in Hollywood to lure women to private meetings, assault them and attempt to silence them.
The trial, which lasted about four weeks, had a twelve-person jury made up of seven men and five women which ended up finding the former producer guilty on three counts of rape and sexual abuse of a woman from Italy.
In December, a jury convicted Weinstein of rape, forced oral copulation and another charge of sexual misconduct. In addition to these charges, the filmmaker is already serving a 23-year prison sentence in New York for another sex crimes case, which means he could spend the rest of his life behind bars.
"It’s a cruel sentence, given his age, his health and the conditions of his conviction in Los Angeles, when the sole charge was from a person who lied, with the judge and prosecutor well aware of it and permitting it, about critical elements of her own claim," said Juda Engelmayer, representative of the former producer who also announced that he will appeal the decision.
Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 16 more years in prison for Los Angeles assault. pic.twitter.com/5zaRfTE3uY
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 23, 2023
For his part, California Governor Gavin Newsom shared a statement highlighting how "incredibly proud" he is of his wife and all the women who came forward to tell their story.
It is important to note that the governor's wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, also accused Weinstein of raping her in the past, but the jury questioned several of her allegations, resulting in a mistrial.
"Harvey Weinstein will never be able to rape another woman. He will spend the rest of his life behind bars where he belongs. Harvey Weinstein is a serial predator and what he did was rape. Throughout the trial, Weinstein’s lawyers used sexism, misogyny, and bullying tactics to intimidate, demean, and ridicule us survivors. This trial was a stark reminder that we as a society have work to do. To all survivors out there — I see you, I hear you, and I stand with you," said the governor's wife, Siebel Newsom.
