NEW YORK—Film mogul Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years to a New York state prison on Wednesday, March 11 by Supreme Court Judge James Burke.
Weinstein was sentenced after he was convicted on February 24 of committing a criminal sexual act in the first degree and third-degree rape. His New York trial began January 6, and his legal team is reported to appeal the jury’s decision to convict him on two of the five charges he faced. Additionally, Weinstein will also be formally registered as a sex offender.
For his conviction on the first-degree count of criminal sexual act, Weinstein was given 20 years in prison plus five years of supervised release. On the other convicted charge, third-degree rape, he was sentenced to three years in prison. The sentences will be served consecutively, rather than concurrent.
Weinstein was the head of Miramax and started The Weinstein Company with his brother Bob. The Weinstein Company fired Harvey from the company in October 2017.
The New York Times broke the story in October 2017 that several former associates of Weinstein allege to have been the targets of sexual harassment by the film producer and executive. Included in that list of accusers is actress Ashley Judd, “Scream” and “Charmed” star Rose McGowan and Italian model and actress Ambra Battilana. Battilana claimed that Weinstein assaulted her in March 2015 after he invited her to his Tribeca office under the premise of assisting her film career aspirations.
The New York City Police Department opened an investigation into the incident, but the case was closed when Weinstein agreed to make an undisclosed payment to Battilana. According to reports, over the course of his career, Weinstein has reportedly reached settlements with at least eight different women regarding claims of harassment.
Weinstein has been involved in the production of numerous hit movies over the course of his career, including Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction,” “Shakespeare in Love,” “Scream” and “Silver Linings Playbook,” which star Jennifer Lawrence won a Best Actress Academy Award.
After Weinstein’s sentencing was announced, Los Angeles Districts Attorney’s Office, Jackie Lacey, announced that they have begun the process of extraditing Weinstein to California to face sexual assault charges against him that were announced in January 2020. No arraignment date has been set but will be announced once set.
Weinstein was charged in, case BA483663 with one felony count each of forcible oral copulation, sexual penetration, and forcible rape by use of force and sexual battery by restraint.
Written By Brenda De La Cruz and Anita Brown
