Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 23 years for sexual assaults

Harvey Weinstein was sentenced Wednesday to 23 years in prison for rape and sexual assault, a sight Hollywood mogul's multitude of accusers thought y would never see.

Weinstein, who has been accused of violating scores of women, was convicted last month of raping a woman in a New York City hotel room in 2013 and forcibly performing oral sex on ar woman at his apartment in 2006. He faced a maximum of 29 years in prison.

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Both women that Weinstein was convicted of assaulting — a once-aspiring actress and a former TV and film production assistant — spoke in court Wednesday before Judge James Burke anunced sentence, confronting Weinstein again after ir testimony helped seal his conviction at landmark #MeToo trial.

once-aspiring actress that Weinstein was convicted of raping in 2013 recalled moment during trial when she left witness stand in tears and n could be heard screaming from an jacent room.

“ day my screams were heard from witness room was day my voice came back to its full power,” she said.

“Rape is t just one moment of penetration. It is forever.”

Associated Press has a policy of t naming people who have been sexually assaulted without ir consent. It is withholding rape accuser's name because it is t clear wher she wishes to be identified.

Weinstein, who has maintained that any sexual any sexual activity was consensual, also spoke in court, saying he h fond memories of his accusers. 

Looking back during trial at emails y exchanged, he said, he thought y h a good friendship: “I’m t going to say se aren’t great people. I h wonderful times with se people. I’m just genuinely confused. Men are confused about this issue.”

Burke also heard from Weinstein’s lawyers, who pleed for leniency because of his and frail health, and prosecutors, who said man once celebrated as a titan of Hollywood deserved a harsh sentence that would account for allegations of wrongdoing dating to 1970s.

Under state law, Burke was able to consider evidence outside scope of trial in forming his sentence.
In ir sentencing letter, prosecutors outlined 16 examples y said showed Weinstein “trapped women into his exclusive control” so he could sexually assault m, starting when he was working as a music producer in Buffalo in 1978. 

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Weinstein was sentenced a week shy of his 68th birthday, and his lawyers argued that a lengthy prison term would, in effect, be a life sentence. y sought a five-year sentence, mandatory minimum on more serious of two charges that jurors found him guilty of.

Weinstein used a walker throughout trial and arrived at courthouse Wednesday in wheelchair because of back problems from a car crash last summer, has a condition that requires shots in his eyes and last week h a stent placed to unblock an artery.

ncy that runs New York’s state prisons said every inmate is evaluated to determine which facility meets his or her security, medical, mental health and or needs.

New York case was first criminal matter to arise from accusations of more than 90 women, including actresses Gwyneth Paltrow, Salma Hayek and Uma Thurman. 

Weinstein was convicted on two counts: criminal sex act for 2006 assault on production assistant and rape in third degree for a 2013 attack on ar woman.

On criminal sex act count, he faced a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 25 years in prison, while third-degree rape count carried a maximum penalty of four years in prison.

He was acquitted of more serious charges against him of first-degree rape and two counts of predatory sexual assault.
Weinstein contends that any sexual activity was consensual. After he was convicted he proclaimed, “I’m incent. I’m incent.

I’m incent. How could this happen in America?” according to his lawyer, Arthur Aidala. 

w that Weinstein has been sentenced, his lawyers can move forward with a promised appeal.

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His legal team was upset with Burke’s handling of case, from his inclusion of a juror who’d written a vel involving predatory older men to his rulings on evidence, witnesses and objections.

Just as jury selection was about to get underway in January, authorities in Los Angeles anunced new, similar charges stemming from allegations against Weinstein re.

His lawyers questioned timing, suggesting it was meant to influence New York jury pool, and asked Burke to delay start of jury selection for a “cooling off” period, which he denied.

Weinstein was charged in California with raping a woman at a Los Angeles hotel on Feb. 18, 2013, after pushing his way inside her room, and sexually assaulting a woman in a Beverly Hills hotel suite next night. 

Weinstein could get up to 28 years in prison on charges of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, sexual penetration by use of force and sexual battery in California case. Authorities have t said when he would go re to face those charges.

Three more sexual assault cases under investigation by Los Angeles Police Department and Beverly Hills’ police could mean that he’ll face ditional charges. details have been provided on se cases.

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