Harvey Weinstein Found Guilty at Rape Trial

Kadence Perkins 

MANHATTAN, NY- A Manhattan jury has delivered a guilty verdict to disgraced former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein for charges of first-degree felony sex crime and third-degree rape. This verdict comes after a trial which jurors described as “long” and very drawn out. Weinstein appeared in court with his infamous walker, which has angered many people who believed he was using it as a ploy to play at the sympathies of the jury. The verdict was followed with plenty of dissatisfaction from people, as Weinstein was acquitted of his two most serious charges, which were two counts of predatory sexual assault. Weinstein faces a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of over 20 years in prison for his crimes. 

Weinstein’s lawyers are looking to appeal the findings of the jury, and a statement of behalf of attorneys Donna Rotunno and Damon Cheronis read "There are issues in this trial that were extremely troubling, and they prejudiced Mr. Weinstein's ability to have his case fairly judged. These will be addressed to a higher court.” Jurors deliberated for 26 hours over a 5 day period before reaching a verdict on Monday morning.

Many activists and their followers have called this verdict the “beginning of a new era” for sexual assault victims, ushering in a new culture where rape victims won’t have to be afraid of recourse for speaking out about their suffering. The conviction for the charge of a criminal sex act in the first degree carries a five-year minimum and 25 year maximum prison sentence. For third-degree rape, he has no minimum sentence and a four-year maximum prison sentence.