The Weinstein-McClendon trial in Los Angeles kicks off five years after the first #MeToo #Movies story
As the trial in Los Angeles is set to get underway, Weinstein has maintained his innocence and denied all allegations against him. His 2020 conviction on sex crime charges was upheld in August by New York’s highest court.
The start of the Los Angeles criminal trial comes five years after the first stories exposing his illicit actions against women were first published by The New York Times and The New Yorker. Those stories also helped the #MeToo movement expand, eventually taking down other powerful men in Hollywood and beyond.
If a jury in Los Angeles convicts Weinstein of rape, he could face 60 years to life in prison, plus an additional five years.
The disgraced movie mogul was found guilty Monday of three of seven charges against him in his second sexual assault trial. Weinstein was acquitted of sexual battery by restraint against a massage therapist in a hotel room. A jury was not in a position to reach a verdict on sexual battery by restraint, forcible oral copulation, and rape related to two other women.
McGowan, a Hollywood TV and film actress, had previously accused Weinstein of raping her in 1997. He denied her claims, though the two worked out a $100,000 settlement over the alleged incident. McGowan had attempted to sue Weinstein in a separate case, but that lawsuit was later dismissed.
Siebel Newsom, the first partner of the Hollywood big boy, was kicked out of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles
Only 24 reporters, including two sketch artists, can be inside the courtroom each day, according to the AP. In New York, dozens were allowed inside to monitor the trial.
Movies produced or distributed by those companies were at one point nominated for more than 340 Academy Awards — winning 81 of them — before he was kicked out of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
The wife of California’s governor was one of Weinstein’s accusers. She told jurors that she was an aspiring actress when she had liaisons with him over two decades ago. Weinstein invited her to a hotel in Beverly Hills to have a conversation about her career. She graphically described how he shoved her onto a bed and raped her.
The assault happened after Weinstein allegedly showed up at the hotel and asked a front desk staffer to connect him with the victim, the lawsuit said. Weinstein asked the victim for her room number after talking on the phone with her. She hung up the phone when she refused to give her room number.
“She intends to testify at his trial to seek some measure of justice for survivors and as part of her life’s work to improve the lives of women,” Fegan said.
Jury selection for Weinstein’s trial began Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Newsom will likely testify “on or around November 8” but this could change as the schedule is fluid, attorney Mark Firmani said.
She wrote an editorial for Huffington Post about her experience similar to what the New York Times reported about Weinstein, a day after it published its bombshell report.
“I was naive, new to the industry, and didn’t know how to deal with his aggressive advances ― work invitations with a friend late-night at The Toronto Film Festival, and later an invitation to meet with him about a role in The Peninsula Hotel, where staff were present and then all of a sudden disappeared like clockwork, leaving me alone with this extremely powerful and intimidating Hollywood legend,” Newsom wrote.
Siebel Newsom is a graduate of the school. She has written, directed, and produced numerous films, among them “Miss Representation” and “The Mask You Live In”. As the first partner of California, Siebel Newsom has fought for working mothers and has been involved with several social activism campaigns.
Jane Doe 2 in a Los Angeles Film Court: Weinstein vs. Martinez for Sexual Battery and Infliction of Emotional Distress
He pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. He initially faced 11 charges, but four counts connected to an unnamed woman were dropped after she did not testify.
In closing arguments Wednesday, Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Marlene Martinez called Weinstein a “titan” who used his power in Hollywood to prey on and silence women.
Meanwhile, Weinstein’s attorneys have maintained the allegations are either fabricated or occurred consensually as part of a “transactional relationship” with the movie producer, repeatedly saying there is no evidence of assault.
The trial in Los Angeles included testimony from the four accusers identified as Jane Does in court, and other witnesses, including experts, law enforcement, friends of accusers and former aides to Weinstein.
Each morning at trial, Weinstein was brought from a correctional facility and wheeled into the Los Angeles courtroom wearing a suit and tie and holding a composition notebook.
“He’s wearing a suit, and a blue tie and he’s staring at me,” Siebel Newsom said last month, before what was one of the most emotional moments of the trial.
Jackson asked the jurors if they could accept what the Jane Does say and argued there was no evidence to support their claim.
Jackson said the sex was not rape and that it was consensual. And it’s important we make that distinction in this courtroom.”
Siebel Newsom described an hourslong “cat-and-mouse period,” which preceded her alleged assault. She, like other accusers, described feeling “frozen” that day.
Women’s rights lawyer Gloria Allred, who is representing Jane Doe 2 in the case, told CNN she hopes the jury sees her client “has no motive at all to do anything but tell the truth.”
The plaintiff is suing Weinstein for sexual battery, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence. She wants an amount in damages that are undisclosed.
She’ll Live on, But You Can’t Give Up: Harvey Weinstein’s Sexually Violations Charged with a Manslaughter and a Special Person
It was important that you were willing to face a very brutal cross-examination. That is a very difficult task for a special person. She is a very special person. Allred said she was very proud.
Weinstein is obviously disappointed but hopefully because the accuser has good ground to appeal based on the time and location of the alleged events, his spokeswoman said. “He is grateful the jury took their time to deliberate on the other counts and he is prepared to continue fighting for his innocence.”
He had been accused of rape, sexual penetration by foreign object and forcible oral copulation by a model and actress and one of the three charges was levied against him by the model and actress.
Elizabeth Fegan, an attorney representing Siebel Newsom, who was identified in court as Jane Doe 4, said they were disappointed that the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on the charges related to her client.
Jurors will return to court Tuesday to consider aggravating factors to help determine the outcome of Weinstein’s sentencing hearing, according to the DA’s office.
“I am relieved that Harvey Weinstein has been convicted because he deserves to be punished for the crimes that he committed, and he can no longer use his power to intimidate and sexually assault more women,” Young said in a statement read by Allred.
Attorney Alan Jackson referred to women as “Fortune seekers” during closing arguments when Weinstein’s defense tried to downplay the testimonies.
Natassia Malthe, a model and licensed massage therapist, was identified as “Jane Doe”, and she detailed an alleged attack inside a London hotel.
The scars on Weinstein’s genitalia were the result of a 1999 surgery, according to prosecutors.
Italian model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez was a witness during the trial, testifying about his “prior bad acts.” In 2015, she filed a police report that spurred sex crimes prosecutors to investigate Weinstein. The New York Police Department had a sting operation going on and they agreed to record Weinstein. The Manhattan district attorney didn’t prosecute him at the time, but the recording was played for jurors in LA.
The #Metoo movement shone a spotlight on sexual abuse and harassment in the workplace, not just in Hollywood, but in all of society. Powerful men in politics and entertainment have been exposed for sexual misdeeds.
Judge Lench Reached a Unanimous Decision on the 1996 Sexual Abuse of Weinstein and a Civil Litigation Against Weinstein
In 1996, he was charged with indecent assault of a woman. His attorneys are now appealing his New York verdict, so his Los Angeles conviction could mean he stays behind bars for the rest of his life.
After convicting former film producer Harvey Weinstein of rape and sexual assault, a Los Angeles jury could not reach a unanimous verdict Tuesday on alleged aggravating factors that could have increased his sentence.
Jurors were asked if Jane is especially vulnerable and if Weinstein committed the crimes with planning, professionalism or sophistication.
“The jury has said they are not able to reach a unanimous verdict on these issues,” Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lisa Lench said, according to a pool report. “I am going to declare a mistrial with respect to the allegations.”
Jurors had deliberated for several hours Tuesday. After the jury indicated it wouldn’t sway them, there was no push for further deliberations from the prosecution or the defense.
The pool report said Paul Thompson said Weinstein will be retried on the deadlock counts, but they need to consult the victims first and foremost.
The verdict was reached as jurors entered their third week of deliberations, meeting for a total of 41 hours over a period of 10 days following weeks of oftentimes emotional testimony.
A woman has filed a civil lawsuit against disgraced former film producer Harvey Weinstein for sexual battery, false imprisonment and other claims after he was convicted of raping her last December in Los Angeles.
The Suspense of Jane Weinstein During a Sex-Assault With Weinstein and a Forcibly Grabged Plaintiff
The jury could not decide on the charges and the judge declared a mistrial because he couldn’t agree on if the charges were guilty.
According to the lawsuit, Jane was told repeatedly to leave her hotel room by Weinstein but he ignored her and became aggressive.
“Once in the room, he engaged in small talk with Plaintiff but in an arrogant and intimidating manner. He quickly made his real intentions clear. The lawsuit says he wanted to have sex with her. “He sat on her bed and then forcibly grabbed Plaintiff and made her sit down next to him.”
Adult victims of sex assaults are allowed to file a civil action within ten years, even if the person is sentenced to a felony, according to the lawsuit.