Disgraced Movie Mogul Harvey Weinstein Found Guilty Of Rape In Los Angeles Trial

Jurors reached a split verdict Monday in the sexual assault and rape trial of disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein in Los Angeles.

Weinstein, who is serving a 23-year sentence for rape in New York, stands accused of sexually assaulting five women between 2003 and 2014.

According to reports, jurors said Weinstein is guilty of forcible rape & other charges relating to Jane Doe 1, not guilty of sexual battery for Jane Doe 3, and a hung jury for counts related to Jane Doe 2 and California’s first lady Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

Weinstein was also acquitted of a sexual battery allegation made by another woman, according to The Associated Press.

Jurors reached the verdict after nearly 41 hours of deliberations over ten days.

Weinstein pleaded not guilty to all seven charges, which included two counts each of forcible rape, sexual battery by restraint and forcible oral copulation, and one count of sexual penetration by foreign object as reported by CNN.

The Associated Press reported that he faces up to 24 years in prison when he is sentenced.

“It is time for the defendant’s reign of terror to end,” Deputy District Attorney Marlene Martinez said in the prosecution’s closing argument. “It is time for the kingmaker to be brought to justice.”

Weinstein was convicted of a first-degree criminal sex act and third-degree rape in 2020. He has denied raping anyone and says all of his sexual encounters were consensual. He was extradited to California last year in anticipation of his second trial, which will feature up to 50 witnesses, says the L.A. County District Attorney’s office.

Earlier this year, a New York Appeals court ruled that Weinstein’s team could argue for another trial or have his conviction dismissed. Weinstein’s lawyers shared various reasons why they believe Weinstein was not given a fair trial and is entitled to a new one, including that they say too many witnesses unrelated to the sexual assault charges were allowed at trial.

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