More than six years after the much accused Harvey Weinstein was first convicted on sex-crime charges in New York City, an Empire State judge on Wednesday sentenced the Pulp Fiction producer to 15 years behind bars.
Following a morning of arguments and pitches from both defense lawyers and the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, Judge Curtis Faber has just handed down the sentence. As he has in past sentencing sessions, Weinstein addressed the court this morning. The onetime Miramax boss offered “regrets” but maintained he hadn’t raped anyone and did nothing illegal.
The 74-year-old Weinstein’s latest sentence comes from his conviction for the 2006 rape of Miriam Haley.
The past Project Runway staffer also spoke in court Wednesday. With Weinstein nearby, she said “having been sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein has had a devastating effect on my life and sense of security that may never go away.” Having been though two trials against Weinstein, Haley, in her victim’s statement, said: “Making the decision to speak up will have me looking over my shoulder for years to come. It’s a life sentence for me.”
Today’s sentencing comes almost right in the middle of what the two sides desired. Weinstein’s team was asking for nine years for him, while D.A. Alvin Bragg’s office wanted 20 years.
“Today was about the survivors,” Bragg said in a post-sentencing statement. “Ms. Haley, her remarks were powerful, moving and eloquent. I thank her first and foremost, and all of the survivors who came to lend their support. I’m moved, as we should all be moved, by their courage and their steadfastness through what has obviously been a challenging process.”
Of course, this is the American justice system, so the process is far from over.
After the sentencing, reps for Weinstein told Deadline that “there are serious legal issues that remain to be addressed, and today’s sentence will be reviewed as part of the appellate process.” They added: “Harvey will continue to pursue every legal avenue available to him.”
Appeal and all, a sense of déjà vu is not unfounded here.
Weinstein was first sentenced to 23 years in New York state prison in 2020 after being convicted by a jury earlier that year for sexually assaulting ex-TV PA Jessica Mann and others in since-overturned sex crimes.
Even with that 2024 overturn and a litany of court pleas, the former mini-mogul remained incarcerated due to a 2022 guilty verdict for L.A. sex crimes. Housed in the notorious Rikers Island during court proceedings, Weinstein’s third New York rape trial ended in mid-May with a deadlocked jury.
On the West Coast, a trio of California appeal judges ruled in June that Weinstein’s L.A. verdict wasn’t going to be overturned, but the Oscar winner needed to be resentenced. No date for that resentencing has been yet as attorneys and prosecutors awaited the outcome of today’s hearing in New York.