Harvey Weinstein was found guilty on three charges, including the forcible rape of Jane Doe No. 1, on December 19 in his Los Angeles rape trial. However, he was found not guilty of sexual battery against Jane Doe No. 2, and the jury did not reach a decision on the last three counts on Jane Doe No. 2 and Jane Doe No. 4 and declared a mistrial. He faces up to 24 years in prison. Weinstein, who was found guilty of rape and sexual assault in New York City on February 24, 2020, faced two counts of rape and five counts of sexual assault for alleged incidents in California from 2004 to 2013, per CNN. The California trial featured harrowing testimony from his sexual-assault accusers, including Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the wife of California governor Gavin Newsom. During Siebel Newsom’s testimony on November 14, she said Weinstein raped her about 17 years ago at a Los Angeles hotel, where she’d thought they were going to have a work meeting. “I want to thank the survivors in this case, who exhibited extraordinary bravery in a case that put them in the national spotlight,†the Los Angeles district attorney stated, in part. “Reporting sexual assault is never easy. Subjecting oneself to at times brutal cross-examination can be retraumatizing and extraordinarily painful. I stand in awe of their fearlessness. They deserve better than what the system has given them.â€
Louisette Geiss, Siebel Newsom’s friend, was called to the stand as a witness. Geiss, who has also accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct, told jurors that Siebel Newsom disclosed the alleged assault to her. During the trial, the prosecution called 44 witnesses to the stand over some four weeks of testimony, per reports. The judge overseeing Weinstein’s case dropped four of the 11 charges Weinstein originally faced after prosecutors said they did not plan on continuing with counts involving an accuser who has been referred to as Jane Doe No. 5. Weinstein pleaded not guilty in his L.A. case and has maintained his innocence. Weinstein is serving a 23-year-sentence in his New York case.
This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly.