The disgraced producer is currently serving a 23-year prison sentence.
A verdict has been reached in Harvey Weinstein's Los Angeles rape trial. After a weeks-long trial with around 80 witnesses, jurors found the 70-year-old disgraced movie producer guilty on three of the seven counts he faced.
Weinstein, who pleaded not guilty, was on trial for two counts of rape and five sexual assault counts for incidents occurring between 2004 and 2013.
Weinstein was found guilty on the charges of forcible oral copulation, sexual penetration by foreign object, and forcible rape of Jane Doe 1.
He was found not guilty on the charge of sexual battery by restraint, in the case of Jane Doe 3.
The jury hung on three counts, including sexual battery by restraint of Jane Doe 2, as well as forcible oral copulation and forcible rape of Jane Doe 4 -- who has self-identified as Jennifer Siebel Newsom, wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. A mistrial was declared in the charges in which the jury could not reach a verdict.
Jurors are returning tomorrow to hear arguments on aggravating factors. Weinstein currently faces a maximum of 18 years in prison, that number could be 24 depending on how jury decides on those factors.
During opening statements in the trial, Mark Werksman, Weinstein's attorney, said the incidents took place at a time in Hollywood when "transactional sex" was common and called his client's accusers "hypocrites," according to The New York Times.
Meanwhile, prosecutor, Paul Thompson, argued that the women "feared that he could crush their careers if they reported what he had done to him," according to the outlet.
Eight women testified during the trial, including Newsom, who claimed that Weinstein raped her in 2005.
Weinstein's conviction came nearly three years after a Manhattan jury found him guilty of third-degree rape and one count of a criminal sex act. Weinstein, who pleaded not guilty to those charges, was later sentenced to 23 years in prison. In August 2022, however, a New York judge granted Weinstein an appeal of his conviction.
In the U.S., help is available for survivors of sexual violence and their families. RAINN offers resources at 1-800-656-HOPE and on their website, www.rainn.org
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