The verdict in the Harvey Weinstein trial is in. The Hollywood mega producer, whose alleged behavior was one of the catalysts of the #MeToo movement, has been on trial in New York since earlier this month on five different charges relating to those allegations that could land him in prison for the rest of his life. Now, over two years since the allegations first surfaced, Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of sexual assault.
After deliberating for 26.5 hours, jurors in the New York trial have found Harvey Weinstein guilty. According to CNN, the former head of The Weinstein Company was found guilty of committing a criminal sex act involving one woman. He was also found guilty of rape in the third degree involving another woman. Harvey Weinstein was not found guilty though on all counts as the jury acquitted him of some of the more serious charges.
The breakdown is thus: Harvey Weinstein was found guilty on two out of the five counts against him. On Count two, where the movie mogul was charged with committing a criminal sexual act against Miriam Haley, a former Project Runway production assistant, Harvey Weinstein was found guilty. He was also found guilty of Count five, rape in the third degree of former aspiring actress Jessica Mann.
The sentencing guidelines for those two charge are as follows. For Count two, a criminal sexual act in the first degree, the guidelines recommend a sentence of at least five years in prison. For Count five, the charge of rape in the third degree, the guidelines allow for anything from probation to four years in prison. How much time Harvey Weinstein will spend in prison will not be determined until next month when sentencing takes place on March 11.
In addition to those two guilty convictions, there are three counts on which Harvey Weinstein was found not guilty. On Count four, rape in the first degree against Jessica Mann, Harvey Weinstein was found not guilty. He was also found not guilty on Counts one and three, the two predatory sexual assault charges against Miriam Haley and Jessica Mann.
Actress Annabella Sciorra's testimony was used by prosecutors to establish Harvey Weinstein's predatory behavior, so the not guilty verdict on these two charges indicate that the jury did not find beyond a reasonable doubt that Weinstein assaulted the actress. Those two charges were the most severe and had he been found guilty, predatory sexual assault is punishable by 10 years to life in prison based on the sentencing guidelines.
Following the verdict, Harvey Weinstein was remanded into custody. According to his publicist Juda Engelmayer, Harvey Weinstein's attorney is already going to the appellate court in order to file an appeal. On top of the New York case, Harvey Weinstein also faces additional criminal charges in a case in Los Angeles, where he is accused of sexually assaulting one woman and raping another in 2013.
So while Harvey Weinstein has now been found guilty and faces prison time, this story isn't going away anytime soon.
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