Harvey Weinstein Sentenced To 16 Years In Prison In Addition To His Current Incarceration

Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 16 years in prison for rape and other sex crimes in Los Angeles on Thursday. This is after Miramax’s former co-founder has been incarcerated since 2020 after his conviction in New York for similar offenses. The new sentence will be served after Harvey completes his current 23-year sentence.

In November, Weinstein faced grand jury indictments of two counts of rape and five counts of sexual assault in incidents in L.A. County between 2004 and 2013. Following a nearly two-month-long trial, Weinstein was found guilty on all counts in relation to Jane Doe #1, not guilty concerning Jane Doe #2, and received a deadlock on Jane Doe #3 and Jane Doe #4.

After the mixed verdict, Weinstein’s attorneys requested a new trial last month, questioning Jane Doe #1’s allegations and overall credibility. The motion was denied by Judge Lisa B. Lench who, on Thursday, sentenced Weinstein to eight years on Count #1, six years for Count #2, and two years for Count #3, to be run consecutively.

Since the 2017 expose by the New York Times and dozens of allegations across over four decades, Weinstein has maintained his innocence and continues to do so regarding the allegations in the L.A. case, and claims any sex that did occur was consensual.

After a statement by Jane Doe #1 and before sentencing, Weinstein addressed the court: “I maintain that I’m innocent,” he said. “I never raped or sexually assaulted Jane Doe #1. I never knew this woman, and the fact is she doesn’t know me. This is about money.”

Jane Doe #1 thanked the jury after their verdict, saying: “Ten years later, the effects of this rape are still raw and difficult to discuss.”

Weinstein has an ongoing appeal for his East Coast conviction and has already announced he will also be appealing the L.A. conviction. Weinstein is not eligible for parole on his East Coast sentence until 2039. Unless his appeals are met, Weinstein will likely spend the remainder of his life in prison.

The D.A.’s office has not decided if they will seek a retrial on the hung accounts from last year; a hearing is scheduled for March 14 to address the matter.