After more than two years of sexual misconduct accusations and stories coming out about former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, he has officially been found guilty of crimes related to the stories that arose during the genesis of the #MeToo movement. As the man most associated with the social media movement that has outed dozens of people that have abused their power for sexual gain in the film and TV industry, it appears that Weinstein can now be listed as a major victory for the movement, as he has been found guilty of sexual assault and rape in New York City.
After a trial that lasted weeks and a jury deliberation that spanned five days, it has been announced that Weinstein has been convicted of criminal sexual assault in the first degree and rape in the third degree (via Deadline). The sexual assault conviction stems from allegations brought forth from former “Project Runway” production assistant Miriam Haley. She claims that Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her in an apartment in July 2006. The rape conviction is based on the allegation of Jessica Mann, a former actress who said that Weinstein raped her in a hotel room in March 2013.
Sentencing will be forthcoming, but both charges carry a maximum of 25 years. So, depending on how much time Weinstein gets, it could be a life sentence.
This court case is seen as a culmination of a movement that began in the fall of 2017 when articles were published that featured allegations against Harvey Weinstein from a number of women. This kick-started the #MeToo movement, which saw many more women come out as potential victims of Weinstein, as well as various other Hollywood figures. Even without the criminal convictions, the former studio head and producer saw his empire crumble, as his production company The Weinstein Company collapsed and many of his previous colleagues distance themselves from the mogul.
Even with the two convictions, the legal battles are far from over for Weinstein. Though it’s likely that he’ll appeal these two convictions, he also is set to begin a trial in Los Angeles County soon where he faces multiple charges of sexual assault. That trial is expected to begin shortly.