By The Vanguard Staff
LOS ANGLES, CA – Former Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein Monday was convicted of three counts of sexual assault, including rape of a woman, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced.
It was the second conviction for Weinstein, who was found guilty of rape and sexual assault in a New York trial two years ago.
Weinstein, 70, is facing 24 years in prison on Monday’s conviction. He’s already serving 23 years on the NY conviction.
The jury deadlocked on allegations by Jennifer Newsom, wife of CA Gov. Gavin Newsom, and women known as Jane Doe 2 and Jane Doe 3.
“I want to thank the survivors in this case, who exhibited extraordinary bravery in a case that put them in the national spotlight,” District Attorney Gascón said. “Reporting sexual assault is never easy.”
He added, “Subjecting oneself to at times brutal cross-examination can be retraumatizing and extraordinarily painful. I stand in awe of their fearlessness. They deserve better than what the system has given them.”
The progressive DA admitted he was “disappointed” the jury was “split on some of the counts, but hope its partial verdicts bring at least some measure of justice to the victims.”
Gascón said the jury was out for 10 days before finding Weinstein guilty of one count of forcible rape, one count of forced oral copulation and one count of sexual penetration by a foreign object in February 2013.
Newsom testified she was a documentary filmmaker when she was raped by Weinstein in a hotel room in 2005, and said after court, “Harvey Weinstein will never be able to rape another woman. He will spend the rest of his life behind bars where he belongs.”
She added, “Throughout the trial, Weinstein’s lawyers used sexism, misogyny, and bullying tactics to intimidate, demean, and ridicule us survivors. The trial was a stark reminder that we as a society have work to do.”
One alleged victim said she was raped by Weinstein when he arrived uninvited at her Beverly Hills motel
Another woman, who described herself as a model and aspiring actor and screenwriter, reported she was raped, as did a massage therapist.
More than 80 women have accused Weinstein of sexual assault. He’s appealing his NY conviction.
