Former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 16 years behind bars Thursday in Los Angeles for raping a woman after a 2013 film festival.
According to Variety, the conviction comes two months after a jury convicted Weinstein in December on three counts of sexual assault and rape. Weinstein had already been convicted in another rape case in New York and ordered to spend 23 years in prison.
Despite this, Weinstein pleaded for the lightest punishment possible before sentencing on Thursday.
“I maintain that I’m innocent,” Weinstein said before sentencing. “This is about money and coming after me. Please don’t sentence me to life in prison. I don’t deserve it.”
“There are so many things wrong with this case. There is no evidence… This is a setup… I beg your mercy.”
Weinstein’s defense team pleaded for the minimum sentence also, claiming that Weinstein had “become a caricature because of the #MeToo movement.” The defense also implored the judge to look at the person Weinstein was “before he became accused as a sexual predator.”
“Mr. Weinstein did a lot of good for a lot of people in a 50-year career,” defense lawyer Mark Werksman said. “He produced hundreds of films that were a joy to millions of people… He was a man that many famous movie stars would thank in their Oscar speeches… He gave generously to charities and political causes.”
After listening to the arguments, Judge Lench handed down the sentence.
“These are not easy decisions to make, but this is my decision,” Lench said.
The three counts of rape and sexual assault are in connection with victim Jane Doe #1, who was raped by the defendant in 2013, following the L.A. Italia Film Festival. She testified during sentencing that the attack changed her outlook on life and left her punishing her own self for Weinstein’s actions.
“I have been carrying this weight, this trauma, that it was my fault for years,” Jane Doe #1 said to the judge.
“Before that night, I was a very happy and confident women… I was excited about my future… Everything changed after… Inside, I had fallen apart. I was punishing myself for what he did to me.”
See more reporting on Harvey Weinstein’s legal troubles at CrimeOnline.
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[Feature Photo: Harvey Weinstein arrives at a Manhattan courthouse for his rape trial, Monday, Feb. 24, 2020, in New York. A jury convicted the Hollywood mogul of rape and sexual assault. The jury found him not guilty of the most serious charge, predatory sexual assault, which could have resulted in a life sentence.(AP Photo/John Minchillo)]
