HARVEY WEINSTEIN UPDATE: MOGUL CONVICTED OF TWO OF FIVE COUNTS IN SEXUAL ASSAULT TRIAL!
On Monday, after His six-week trial, entertainment mogul Harvey Weinstein was found guilty and convicted by a New York jury on two of five counts, bringing to an end a high-profile sexual assault trial.
Weinstein, who suddenly lost his ability to walk on his own leading up to the trial, arrived every day to the 15th-floor courtroom with the aid of a walker. He appeared stoic as six accusers testified; they faced hours of cross-examination, and some broke into tears as they recounted their alleged encounters with the once formidable movie producer.
Interestingly, from a strategic point, Weinstein did not testify in his own defense, so prosecutors were unable to interrogate him about his alleged conduct. But Weinstein and his lawyers have insisted that his encounters with the women were consensual.
Most of the women said the alleged assaults began under the pretext of a professional relationship. Weinstein would express interest in each woman’s acting career or a script they were writing before inviting them to his hotel room or Manhattan apartment, they said.
Observers have posited that in some ways serves as vindication of the #MeToo movement. Meanwhile, Weinstein has ANOTHER to prepare for. In Los Angeles, he will face four more counts of rape and sexual battery charges.