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'Rot in prison': Internet reacts after Harvey Weinstein found guilty of rape and sexual assault in LA trial

Harvey Weinstein is already serving a 23-year prison sentence in New York, where he was found guilty in February 2020 of two felonies

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A jury found Harvey Weinstein guilty of three of seven charges against him in his second sexual assault trial on Monday, December 19. The 70-year-old Hollywood film mogul is already serving a 23-year prison sentence in New York, where he was found guilty in February 2020 of two felonies — third-degree rape and criminal sexual act in the first degree.

The charges include rape, forced oral copulation, and sexual misconduct count involving a woman known as Jane Doe 1, a model and actress who testified that Weinstein assaulted her in a Beverly Hills hotel room in February 2013. According to BBC, the jury of four women and eight men couldn’t reach verdicts in allegations by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom, and the accusations of another woman. A mistrial was declared on those counts. 

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Following the verdict, Jane Doe 1 said in a statement released through her attorney, “Harvey Weinstein forever destroyed a part of me that night in 2013. I will never get the back. The criminal trial was brutal. Weinstein’s lawyers put me through hell on the witness stand. But I knew I had to see this through the end, and I did… I hope Harvey Weinstein never sees the outside of a prison cell during his lifetime."

Weinstein’s spokesperson Juda Engelmayer said, "Harvey is obviously disappointed, however hopefully because with this particular accuser there are good ground to appeal based on time and location of alleged events. He is grateful the jury took their time to deliberate on the other counts and he is prepared to continue fighting for his innocence," quotes CNN. 

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 verdict on the charges related to her client. Fegan said, "My client, Jane Doe 4, shared her story not with an expectation to testify but to support all the survivors who bravely came forward. While we are heartened that the jury found Weinstein guilty on some of the counts, we are disappointed that the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on Jane Doe 4. She will continue to fight for all women and all survivors of abuse against a system that permits the victim to be shamed and re-traumatized in the name of justice."

Netizens too expressed their take. One wrote, "Harvey Weinstein, rapist. Guilty. Again. I only regret that Jane Doe #2 & Jennifer Siebel Newsom & Lauren Young were denied justice." One more commented by saying, "For those who say nothing is happening: Today Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of rape. Although the yearn for total justice grows, take time to soak in each victory along the way." Another said, "Rot in prison Harvey. You deserve it!" An individual wrote, "Let’s hope he has at least 10 years left to rot in jail," with one more saying, "It's not enough but it's better than nothing."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.