Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 16 years in prison in Los Angeles rape case

After being found guilty of rape and sexual assault, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Lisa B. Lench has sentenced disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein to 16 years in prison.

The jury found Harvey Weinstein guilty of all charges related to Jane Doe #1 back in December, with the charges consisting of forcible rape, sexual penetration by a foreign object, and forcible oral copulation. Weinstein was given eight years on Count #1, six years for Count #2, and two years for Count #3, with Judge Lench saying that the sentences will run consecutively. Jane Doe #1 claimed that Weinstein arrived at her hotel room uninvited, talked his way in, and then assaulted her. Weinstein has said that Jane Doe #1 is making it all up, saying that she’s “an actress. She can turn the tears on.“

Harvey Weinstein has continued to profess his innocence. “I maintain that I’m innocent,” Weinstein 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. Please don’t sentence me to life in prison. I don’t deserve it. There are so many things wrong with this case.” In a later statement to TMZ, Weinstein said, “It is incredible to be convicted for a crime I wasn’t even present for. I am innocent. I never raped or assaulted anyone. This person perjured herself at least three times and then sued for money, when she said on the stand that she would ‘never’. I was never with her. Her entire claim thing was a setup for a money grab.“

Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison in a New York City trial in March 2020. He will have to serve his East Coast sentence before his West Coast sentence, meaning that the 70 year old producer will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. He will be eligible for parole on his East Coast sentence in 2039, when he will be 86 years old.

Jane Doe #1 read an impact statement to the court, saying that Harvey Weinstein had “broken me into a million pieces… Ten years later, the effects of this rape are still raw and difficult to discuss.” Addressing Judge Lench, she added, “Your honor, I hope you can understand my suffering. There is no prison sentence long enough to undo the damage. I hope that you give him the maximum sentence allowable.” Based on Weinstein’s prior New York City conviction, the Los Angeles District Attorney had asked Judge Lench to give Weinstein the maximum sentence of 24 years. “These are not easy decisions to make, but this is my decision,” Lench said. Dave Ring, one of the attorneys for Jane Doe #1, said that Weinstein’s sentence has provided her “with closure and relief, knowing Weinstein will spend the rest of his life in prison where he belongs.“