Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of three charges of rape in a Los Angeles trial on December 19.
The three charges––rape, forcible oral copulation and sexual penetration by a foreign object––all stemmed from allegations from an actress known simply as Jane Doe 1. She alleged that Weinstein committed the aforementioned criminal acts against her in 2013 at a Beverly Hills hotel.
Weinstein was found not guilty on a charge of sexual battery by restraint against a different woman, and the jury was hung on the final three charges of rape, forced oral copulation and sexual battery by restraint. These three charges stemmed from two different women, one of which is Jennifer Siebel Newsom, wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat. Weinstein had plead not guilty to all seven charges.
Siebel Newsom said in a statement, per The Wrap: “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.”
A spokesperson for Weinstein said in a statement, per CNN: “Harvey is obviously disappointed, however hopefully because with this particular accuser there are good ground to appeal based on time and location of alleged events. He is grateful the jury took their time to deliberate on the other counts and he is prepared to continue fighting for his innocence.”
Weinstein faces up to 24 years in prison after the December 19 verdict; he is currently two years into a separate 23-year prison sentence in New York after being convicted of sexual assault and rape. Weinstein’s appeal on the New York prison sentence was upheld, but the state’s supreme court will hear his subsequent appeal in 2023.
