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Harvey Weinstein Acquitted on Most Serious Counts

By Jeralyn, Section Colorado News
Posted on Mon Feb 24, 2020 at 01:13:28 PM EST
Tags: Harvey Weinstein (all tags)
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Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of one count of a first degree criminal sex act against Miriam "Mimi" Haley and one count of third degree rape as to Jessica Mann. He was found not guilty of the more serious predator sexual assault charges for which he could have received a life sentence. The reason for the acquittal on the top two charges: The jury did not believe Annabelle Sciorra's 30 year old account of what Weinstein did to her.

The first degree criminal sexual act charge carries a penalty of 5 to 25 years in prison. The third degree rape charge is punishable by anywhere from probation to up to 4 years.

In order to convict him on the more serious sexual predator charges, the jury would have had to have believed Annabelle Sciorra that he raped her 30 years ago and with respect to Jessica Mann, that he had committed the more serious first degree rape charge against her. That they acquitted him on all three of those charges is a testament to the work by his defense team.

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They found he performed an oral sex act on the first victim without her consent in 2006 and that he forced himself on Jessica Mann in 2013 in her hotel room.

The defense team had an impossible task given the media hype. Kudos to them on getting three not guilty verdicts, including on the most serious charges. They spared Harvey Weinstein a likely life sentence.

Weinstein was taken into custoday after the verdict to await sentencing. He also faces sexual assault charges in Los Angeles.

Court TV, which is back again (free streaming channel) has been having actors read the live trial testimony every day. I listened to the cross examinations of some of the complaining witnesses. I thought the Mann charges were the weakest. I also thought the prosecution had a problem when one of the defense witnesses, a friend of one Lauren Young, another women who testified against Harvey, denied her friend's account.

I think Weinstein has some good grounds for appeal: I think showing his deformed genitals to the jury was wrong, given that Harvey admitted having sexual relationships with both Haley and Mann and identity wasn't an issue. His defense was that they consented. The emails strongly supported his defense. I also think it was wrong to allow 4 women to testify to similar acts, even though he wasn't charged with as