The disgraced movie mogul, who was once one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, pleaded with a judge not to sentence him to “life in prison” in Los Angeles, but he will likely spend the remainder of his life behind bars.
Harvey Weinstein, a disgraced Hollywood producer, pleaded “please don’t sentence me to life in prison. I don’t deserve it” as he was sentenced to an additional 16 years in prison for rape and sexual assault.
Weinstein, 70, will finish his 23-year sentence for sexual assault in New York in 2020.
Therefore, it is highly probable that he will spend the remainder of his life in prison.
Weinstein pleaded for leniency as he was handed his latest sentence on Thursday in a Los Angeles court.
In 2013, he was sentenced for raping starlet Jane Doe 1 in a Los Angeles hotel.
In December, a jury found him guilty of rape, oral coercion, and sexual penetration by a foreign object.
Weinstein stated, “This is a fabrication. Jane Doe 1 is a performer. She can induce tears.
“Please do not impose a life sentence on me. I don’t deserve it. There are numerous issues with this case.
“Too many loopholes exist. There are too many issues with this case.
“This is a ruse. This is not the proper response in this circumstance.”
He concluded by saying, “I beg your pardon.”
Jane Doe 1’s attorney, Dave Ring, stated following the verdict, “Today’s sentencing provides Jane Doe 1 with closure and relief, knowing that Weinstein will spend the rest of his life in prison, where he belongs.”
“It took a great deal of courage for Jane Doe 1 and the other victims to come forward and testify… Weinstein has exhausted all of his options.”
Weinstein spokesperson slams ‘cruel sentence’
A lawyer for one of Weinstein’s other victims stated that the disgraced producer will now spend the remainder of his life in prison, “where he belongs.”
In the Los Angeles case, Weinstein, who was once one of the most influential figures in Hollywood, claimed that all of his sexual encounters were consensual and pleaded not guilty.
Due to the prior conviction, prosecutors requested a “high-term” sentence of 24 years rather than the “medium-term” sentence of 18 years that California law would otherwise prescribe.
Louisette Geiss, one of Weinstein’s accusers, stated after the verdict: “While I am disappointed that Judge Lench did not sentence Harvey Weinstein to the maximum of 18 years, no amount of jail time will undo the harm Weinstein has caused to the lives and careers of his survivors, including myself.”
Given his “advanced age and deteriorating health“, Weinstein’s legal team opposed the prosecutor’s recommendation for a lengthy, consecutive sentence.
“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 allowing it, about critical elements of her claim,” a Weinstein spokesperson said after the verdict.
“It is not justice, but rather a pile-on for a man whom many people have decided should be cast off and discarded despite the facts.”
The jury acquitted Weinstein of charges linked to a second alleged victim but could not agree on two other accusers.
One of them, documentary filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom, now the wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom, revealed she was the alleged rape victim known as Jane Doe 4 in court documents.
Weinstein appeals his conviction in New York
Judge Lisa Lench of the Los Angeles Superior Court declared a mistrial on the deadlocked charges.
Attorneys for the defense argued that the women willingly had sex with Weinstein because they believed he would advance their careers, as part of a pervasive “casting couch” culture in the film industry, as they put it.
In two instances, they asserted that the alleged sexual contact had been fabricated.
Weinstein was convicted of sexual assault in New York in February 2020.
In July 2021, he was extradited from New York to a Los Angeles prison.
Weinstein is appealing his conviction and prison sentence in New York.
The allegations against Harvey Weinstein contributed to the #MeToo movement. Which has encouraged women to speak out against sexual harassment and abuse by powerful men in certain industries.
The movement, which went viral on social media in 2017. Seeks to dismantle a culture of silence that has allowed such behavior to go unchallenged for decades.
