Fallen movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was convicted on Monday of third-degree rape and first-degree criminal sex act. He now faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison, with a minimum sentence of five years.
However, the former top Hollywood honcho’s lawyers said he would immediately appeal.
Weinstein, 67, was found guilty of sexually assaulting Miriam Haleyi in 2006 and raping Jessica Mann in 2013.
Haleyi, a former “Project Runway” production assistant, testified that Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her. Mann was a hairstylist and aspiring actress when, she said, Weinstein raped her.
But the 12-member State Supreme Court jury did not find him guilty on the two top charges of predatory sexual assault and rape in the first degree of Mann. If he had been convicted on the former charge, Weinstein would have been sentenced to life behind bars.
The former film producer is expected to be sentenced March 11.
Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. spoke after the jury had rendered its verdict:
“Rape is rape, whether it’s committed by a stranger in a dark alley or by an intimate partner in a relationship,” Vance said. “It’s rape, whether it’s committed by an indigent person or a man of immense power, prestige and privilege. Rape is rape whether the survivor reports it within the next hour, within a year or never at all. It’s rape, despite the complicated dynamics of power and consent after an assault. It’s rape even if there is no physical evidence. Even if it happened a long time ago.
“This is the new landscape for survivors of sexual assault in America. This is a new day,” Vance declared.
“It’s a new day because Harvey Weinstein has finally been held accountable for crimes he committed. The women who came forward courageously, and at great risk, made that happen.
“Weinstein is a vicious, serial sexual predator, who used his power to threaten, rape, assault, trick, humiliate and silence his victims.
“Words can’t describe adequately the sacrifices these survivors made to pursue justice,” the D.A. added. “Weinstein, with his manipulation, his resources, his attorneys, his publicists and his spies, did everything he could to silence these survivors. But they refused to be silent. They spoke from their hearts, and they were heard.
“They were heard by Weinstein’s other survivors and by sexual predators all over the world. … You broke your silence to hold him accountable, and believe me when I say that because you have done so, a generation of sexual assault survivors — and all of us — heard your every word.”
State Senator Brad Hoylman cheered Weinstein’s conviction while also calling for the speedy passage of the Adult Survivors Act. He is sponsoring the bill with Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal.
“Harvey Weinstein is a criminal,” Hoylman said. “He deserves to rot in jail.
“More than 100 women have come forward to accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault or harassment. I applaud the courage of every woman who came forward to testify in this trial: Jessica Mann, Mimi Haleyi, Tarale Wulff, Dawn Dunning, Lauren Young and Annabella Sciorra.
“We’ve learned over the last few years how difficult it is for survivors to come forward and share their stories,” the state senator continued. “Powerful men like Weinstein have a network of attorneys and protectors who intimidate survivors, and many — including Ms. Sciorra — came forward only after the statute of limitations had expired.
“The Adult Survivors Act would help women who survived Weinstein’s abuse secure justice and have their day in court,” Hoylman said. ” This vital piece of legislation…will allow survivors to bring civil suits against their abusers if the statute of limitations has expired. We must pass this bill.”
The Adult Survivors Act (S6810/A8726) would create a one-year window for the revival of otherwise time-barred civil lawsuits based on sex crimes committed against individuals who were 18 years of age or older at the time of the crime.
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