February 24, 2020

"A jury in Manhattan has reached a verdict in the rape trial of Harvey Weinstein."

The NYT reports.

Waiting for an update.

For some good reading while waiting, I recommend this from 4 days ago: "Why Harvey Weinstein Might Walk/Our reporter offers a view from the public line at the Weinstein trial" (The Nation):
Why people do the things they do, what’s complicated about anyone’s vulnerability and power in a relationship, what’s transactional, how time, suggestion, and changed circumstance can transform what formerly was acceptable or maybe regrettable into something utterly debased and criminal—all the messiness that people know from their own lives was raised only by the defense. Though partisan and narrow, Rotunno’s theory of the case, that sex with Weinstein was a form of barter, was situated in the real world. ADA Meghan Hast’s opening statement best captured the state’s approach: “These were not mutual adult relationships.… He was the Old Lady in the Gingerbread House, luring the kids in, missing the oven behind.”
UPDATE: Guilty on 2 counts:
Harvey Weinstein.... was found guilty of a felony sex crime and rape... But the jury acquitted Mr. Weinstein of the two top charges against him, predatory sexual assault.
UPDATE 2: Numbness from the heartless brute:
Mr. Weinstein appeared unmoved as the verdict was read.... The judge then announced that Mr. Weinstein would immediately be sent to jail to await his sentencing. But as court officers approached him, the producer seemed stunned and refused to move. Moments later, he was handcuffed and removed from the room, limping with two officers standing by his side.

120 comments:

Drago said...

They found Trump and the NRA guilty?

Achilles said...

Fortunately he gave millions of dollars to Democrats so he will be luckier than roger stone.

Drago said...

Chewbacca Defense?

Bay Area Guy said...

Wow, good job prosecutors!

gspencer said...

These are felonies; should mean some hard time.

Ryan said...

Not guilty of the top two charges, guilty on the others.

Bleachbitandhammer said...

Weinstein is holly wood clintonian. Of course he’ll walk.

Jake said...

Who said the other day that the deadlock indicated not guilty/hung across the board? Way to go out on a limb.

Ken B said...

Guilty on the lesser charges as several of us said the other day.

Yancey, do I get to count coup on you again?

Lincolntf said...

Guilty on some counts, could face 25 years.

Ken B said...

Jake
Yes. If I were being petty I'd mock Tim McGuire for his absurd take on the other thread.

Yancey Ward said...

Ken B,

I made no predictions about the verdict as far as I can remember. I expected that he would probably be found guilty of something given that he is fat and ugly.

Char Char Binks, Esq. said...

Prostitution is based on an imbalance of power, and the love of money.

Drago said...

I find myself wondering precisely why Putin only wanted Weinstein convicted on the lesser charges.

Browndog said...

With so many different classifications in rape laws I don't know how you can decipher one from the other.

This verdict is a good example.

rhhardin said...

It's better for ten guilty men to go free than for one innocent man to be convicted. That's wound down to 50/50 by charging each innocent man with ten things.

Yancey Ward said...

Cue the "Sometimes Republican Donor Harvey Weinstein Is Convicted of Sex Crimes" and "With the Conviction of Friend Harvey Weinstein, Does Trump Now Fear He Is Next".

Dave Begley said...

This is a state court conviction and Trump can't pardon him, but I fully expect the Left to assert that Trump will pardon him.

Ken B said...

Dave Begley
That Trump would even try to pardon him for a state conviction is an impeachable abuse of power!

Bay Area Guy said...

NY Govenor Cuomo --Fredo's brother -- could pardon him.

mccullough said...

So Harvey was convicted for

(1) without consent, performing cunnilingus on a production assistant in 2006 (sexual assault)

(2) without consent, penis into a woman in 2013 (third degree rape)

He was acquitted of

(1) through use of force, penis into woman in 2013 (first degree rape — same victim as third degree rape)

(2) predatory sexual assault (raping Annabella Sciorra in 1993 and the 2013 victim)

(3) predatory sexual assault (raping Annabella Sciorra and sexual assaulting the 2006 victim)


Harvey has a very good lawyer.




(3)

traditionalguy said...

Good work by the Defense lawyer. Now it is time to work the sentence for house arrest , community service and probation.

Dave Begley said...

Ken B

Trump is no idiot and no friend of Harvey's. My point is that the Fake News is so consumed with TDS that it might claim that Trump will pardon Harvey. They want to tie Harvey to Trump. Both bad guys!

Leland said...

These were not mutual adult relationships.

He was convicted of pedophilia? Nope. So the NYT and the NY State attorney's didn't consider the adult women capable of entering into adult relationships? I think these women are being victimized again but necessarily by Weinstein.

mccullough said...

Next up for Harvey is his trial in LA.

Tomcc said...

I've seen some recent video of HW. All that transactional sex has taken a real toll on him.

Martha said...

Weinstein—friend of Democrats. Remember when 19 year old Malia Obama interned at Weinstein’s production company. What were Michelle and Barack thinking?

In 2017 when the NYTimes investigative story detailing decades of sexual harrassment and worse by Weinstein, Frank Rich, an executive producer for Veep and a New York writer, tweeted about how Weinstein's transgressions were not a secret.

"Biggest mystery of @nytimes Weinstein story: How exemplary parents like Obamas let their daughter work there. The stories were out there," Rich wrote on Twitter.

FullMoon said...

Every rich guy in Hollywood who has had sex sweating bullets now.

mccullough said...

Obama knew Weinstein wouldn’t touch his daughter.

Biden never touched her either.

Browndog said...

Try to find a picture inside a Hillary fundraiser that doesn't have Harvey Weinstien in it.

Yet, her name never comes up.

mccullough said...

Bloomberg was buddies with Weinstein, too

Obama. The Clintons. Lot of Dems.

narciso said...

kevin spacey has this handled, in his best frank underwood manner,

rcocean said...

Predatory Sex crime? What the hell is that. According to the radio he was convicted of "Two lessor crimes". And one of them is rape?!

BTW, notice how Epstein has just dropped off the radar? isn't anyone curious about Epstein's island or how he was able to skate for 12 years? Guess not. Maybe the press can write about something more current - like Emmett Till.

rcocean said...

Yeah, he fought the NRA and green-lighted some movies, so the Rape thing can be forgiven.

rcocean said...

Now weinpig can shop for the right appeals judge who can find some technicality to overturn the verdict. Its never over till its over.

Gusty Winds said...

Maybe Harvey can be cell mates with Michael Avenatti.

Bob Loblaw said...

"Biggest mystery of @nytimes Weinstein story: How exemplary parents like Obamas let their daughter work there. The stories were out there," Rich wrote on Twitter.

Weinstein understands power. Obama's daughter isn't little people, so she was perfectly safe.

Gusty Winds said...

"without consent, performing cunnilingus" - Somehow that just seem to defy logic...

Michael said...

He was convicted on two counts of being fat and ugly

walter said...

Bleachbitandhammer said...Weinstein is holly wood clintonian. Of course he’ll walk.
--
At what point does he lose the walker?

FullMoon said...

Blogger Gusty Winds said...

"without consent, performing cunnilingus" - Somehow that just seem to defy logic...


She probably busy on her cell and wasn't paying attention..didn't notice until he came up for air

rcocean said...

"At what point does he lose the walker?"

After the trials and sentencing (if any) are over. Then he'll stop with the Fake Sympathy device.

FullMoon said...

He was convicted on two counts of being fat and ugly
and rich. Now he gotta pay a trauma fee.

mccullough said...

His attorneys must have prepared him for the high likelihood of being taking into custody immediately.

These are serious crimes. Not the Roger Stone stuff.

mccullough said...

He should switch to a solid wood cane.

It’s much easier to use in a jail fight than that walker.

Welcome to Rikers

mccullough said...

After all the testimony and stories, Harvey’s modus operandi is clear.

Most women voluntarily traded sex for career opportunities. The ones who were not voluntary or resisted were still too afraid to go to the authorities.

It’s a shame no one killed him.

mccullough said...

Harvey also has well-connected friends. Just like Epstein. Same friends.

Howard said...

Hopefully they will put him in Epstein's cell

mccullough said...

Epstein was in the federal jail.

Harvey is going to Rikers

Howard said...

You're spoiling my dream, McCullough

Gusty Winds said...

There are so many selfish men in the world who only engage in receiving oral sex and not reciprocating…which, ironically, is also a crime.

stevew said...

Best put him on suicide watch.

Gusty Winds said...

How come Renee Zellweger didn’t press charges? Too much success? It was worth it?

tim maguire said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
tim maguire said...

Ken B said...
Jake
Yes. If I were being petty I'd mock Tim McGuire for his absurd take on the other thread.


Yes, that would be petty. I took a guess based on limited evidence and was only partly correct. So what?

I can't believe you even remember it. I didn't.

How's about spelling my name right?

Gusty Winds said...

If a waitress/actress slept with Harvey Weinstein for the promise of lead role in a major motion picture, and he didn’t deliver his part of the contract, can she sue him in civil court?

J. Farmer said...

If a waitress/actress slept with Harvey Weinstein for the promise of lead role in a major motion picture, and he didn’t deliver his part of the contract, can she sue him in civil court?

As Scott Thorson learned, "a contract for sex can’t be enforced."

Achilles said...

Howard said...
Hopefully they will put him in Epstein's cell

They don't have to.

Harvey already got that message.

He will not talk about his black book with anybody swearsies.

Anita said...

I happened across a video of Kristen Chenoweth singing at the White House some years back, and there in the audience, sitting right next to Michelle Obama was her good friend Harvey.

Gusty Winds said...

Doesn’t anyone want to know which of the successful A-list actresses actually bedded Mr. Weinstein and went on to great success in promised roles? Didn’t they too promote this culture that led to other women being assaulted?

USA Today published a list of eighty-seven women that made allegations against him. Yes…eighty-seven. Those are the ones that complained.

I’ll bet his success list must rival JFK’s and RFK’s combined.

Rob said...

Annabella Sciorra has egg on her face now. I think it's egg.

Achilles said...

Martha said...
Weinstein—friend of Democrats. Remember when 19 year old Malia Obama interned at Weinstein’s production company. What were Michelle and Barack thinking?


You can't go anywhere in democrat circles without bumping into a rapist.

She had to intern somewhere.

The key is democrats set up a system where they let their powerful men rape a few women here and there. But their daughters would be safe.

Because power.

Kinda like how they allow blatant corruption. Obama got a 50 million dollar film deal from Netflix. The Clinton Foundation soaked up Billions of dollars mostly from foreign countries. Biden and his family are front and center now.

Republicans go to jail for anything like what is described above.

Democrats and their voters are just terrible people.

cacimbo said...

"luring the kids in"

Ugh. How demeaning to women. Comparing us to children, unable to make rational decisions.

henry said...

Battlespace prep for the LA charges. That jury will have an easier time finding a guilty thug guilty again.

mccullough said...

At the LA trial, Meryl Streep and all of Harvey’s friends will be there in the courtroom to support him.

Todd said...

Browndog said...

Try to find a picture inside a Hillary fundraiser that doesn't have Harvey Weinstien in it.

Yet, her name never comes up.

2/24/20, 11:53 AM


Why should it? No one would believe he had willing sex with her. Oh, wait. That is not what you meant...

Bay Area Guy said...

"At the LA trial, Meryl Streep and all of Harvey’s friends will be there in the courtroom to support him."

Doubt it, old Harv is toxic now -- and rightfully so.

Gusty Winds said...

Do you think Meryl Streep is secretly offended Harvey Weinstein never tried going down on her?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Hey, we finally have a face Trump will not pardon.

Ken B said...

“ How's about spelling my name right?”
Bad memory for trivia.

Iman said...

The Face of Hollywood and major DNC contributor convicted for rape and sexual assault.

Democrats should feel a sense of shame that Weinstein's predation went on for several decades, but, as most of us know, they don't embarrass easy.

Nonapod said...

In other legal ruling news, the Judge in the Roger Stone case, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson piously declared that "Judges cannot be 'biased' and need not be disqualified if the views they express are based on what they learned while doing the job they were appointed to do.". Essentially she seems to be saying that Judges aren't human beings. Rather, Judges are creatures of pure logic and reason, entities that are far beyond the emotional shortcomings and frailties of mere homonids.

tim in vermont said...

Don’t worry Harvey, you friend Hillary will send a gang member to release you from your suffering soon enough. I mean what did you do that Fatty Arbuckle never did?

tim in vermont said...

"and need not be disqualified if the views they express are based on what they learned while doing the job they were appointed to do.".

Then she should share the evidence of Russian collusion with us that she came across.

tim in vermont said...

Arbuckle was the defendant in three widely publicized trials between November 1921 and April 1922 for the alleged rape and manslaughter of actress Virginia Rappe. Rappe had fallen ill at a party hosted by Arbuckle at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco in September 1921, and she died four days later. A friend of Rappe accused Arbuckle of raping and accidentally killing her. The first two trials resulted in hung juries, but Buster Keaton defended him in the third trial, which acquitted him, and the jury gave him a formal written statement of apology.. - Wikipedia

Those were the days, my friend, you thought they’d never end...

tim in vermont said...

You should top it off with a Sanders “Rape fantasy” post.

tim in vermont said...

I don’t like this political weaponization of criminal law, but it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.

n.n said...

Democrats should feel a sense of shame that Weinstein's predation went on for several decades, but, as most of us know, they don't embarrass easy.

They do have a history of choosing special and peculiar interests weirdly: from KKK to abortionists to Feminists to diversitists to terrorists to pedophiles and rape-rapists, too.

Jeff Brokaw said...

One takeaway here for ladies everywhere should be, learn how to disable attackers with some form of martial arts training.

I have no daughters but the need for this becomes more and more obvious...

tim in vermont said...

"One takeaway here for ladies everywhere should be, learn how to disable attackers with some form of martial arts training.”

Another would be don’t seek a career in a field that has long been closely associated with high end prostitution.

tim in vermont said...

Watch Moulin Rouge again. Where was the outcry over that plot?

Shouting Thomas said...

The jury heard the evidence.

I didn’t.

So, no comment.

Dave Begley said...

Maybe Bill and Hillary will give Harvey a character reference and ask for leniency at sentencing.

What are friends for?

Gusty Winds said...

Perhaps Madame Tussauds will make a #metoo wax figure exhibit of Harvey Weinstein sitting behind bars on his casting couch.

Having a hard time taking this seriously. It's Hollywood. They didn't take it seriously either.

Greg Hlatky said...

Doesn’t anyone want to know which of the successful A-list actresses actually bedded Mr. Weinstein and went on to great success in promised roles? Didn’t they too promote this culture that led to other women being assaulted?

Every softball interview of the sort you see on Sunday morning news shows with an actress should ask as a first question, "Who did you have to sleep with to get this role?"

Leland said...

I happened across a video of Kristen Chenoweth singing at the White House some years back, and there in the audience, sitting right next to Michelle Obama was her good friend Harvey.

Indeed that happened around Thanksgiving 2015. Also, Weinstein in happier times of 2013 with pals Barack and Chuck.

tim maguire said...

Blogger Ken B said...
“ How's about spelling my name right?”
Bad memory for trivia.


If that were true, we wouldn’t be in this conversation. Really, you’re just a dick pretending to be nonchalant.

rhhardin said...

It's not a stable system. It confuses the statute of limitations for prosecuting with a time for reporting.

If it's not reported at the time, it didn't happen, ought to be the rule.

Otherwise it's women changing their mind.

Ken B said...

No Tim. I think when people make predictions they should notice when they get it wrong. Not noticing how wrong you were summarizes the Democrats for the last three years. I was making a friendly jibe and you got snitty. Noted. And noted that I misjudged you.

Shouting Thomas said...

All I can say is...

Remember when the sexual assault/abuse thing was all about trying to pull a political hit job on Prez Trump?

Instead, a Democratic icon took the hit.

Static Ping said...

My favorite part is journalists now wanting to take credit for busting Weinstein, despite the fact that they had been covering up for him for at least a decade.

Ken B said...

Static Ping
Yep. These are just the rapes. Maybe that wasn’t known by everyone. The casting couch/ sex for roles/punish for refusal stuff was universally known in Hollywood. All of Hollywood knew what he was up to, and played along, and kept mum. They all knew.

iowan2 said...

The investigation that will never take place.

Who are all the high powered, connected movers and shakers in Hollywood, knew, and never stepped up to protect the weakest among them? OPRAH, Ron Howard, Rob Reiner, Merl Streep, Jessica Lang, Steven Spielberg, etal?

This is the cliched casting couch. ALL, made jokes, and the wink and nod were ubiquitous.
Has this really addressed the transactual nature of the entertainment profession?

I am against any form of forced quid pro quo situations. I just can't figure out how to police such actions without ignoring wide swaths of the Constitution.

Amadeus 48 said...

Recommend David Mamet's Bitter Wheat if it ever sees that light of day in the US. We saw it in London last year. John Malkevich plays a Harvey character with real conviction--he is a nonstop salesman.

Also, here is a hutchku:

Oy vey! Harvey!
She wanted leg up.
You wanted leg over.

The rules:
1.Fifteen syllables arranged in consecutive lines of 4,5, and six syllables.
2.Must make fun of a personal foible.
3 No rhymes. This is fake high culture.

Amadeus 48 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Amadeus 48 said...

Cripes! I don't want my real name associated with this blog. I have a country to run.

James K said...

“ Maybe Bill and Hillary will give Harvey a character reference and ask for leniency at sentencing. ”

Nah, the way it works with libs is they’re friends as long as the money and influence keep coming. But once someone is a liability, it’s like they never knew him. Harvey who?

Meanwhile, if a Republican ever crosses paths with a slimy character, the MSM will make sure to describe them as intimate lifelong friends.

Fernandinande said...

Otherwise it's women changing their mind.

Revenge for rejection is a dish best served 13 years later.

Numbness from the heartless brute:

Heh. I thought you refered the women who kept their little traps shut until it was "low cost" and convenient, and possibly profitable, to do otherwise.

Bilwick said...

I wonder if those weird women who write fan mail to convicted felons in the Big House will send mash notes of Harvey.

Paul said...

But but.. was Weinstein's crime rape rape?

Howard said...

So when Harvey has to trade sex for safety on the inside, it's not rape rape because you know it's a simple mutually beneficial transaction. Right, fellas?

William said...

Harvey was there for them. I see no reason why they won't be there for Harvey. Hillary stood by her husband, and there's no reason to doubt that she won't stand by her fund-raiser. I'm sure that right now she's organizing large scale protests for mercy for Harvey. Perhaps she and Meryl and and Gwyneth can arrange for symbolic arrests on the courthouse steps....It saddens me to see so many here doubting that many in Hollywood and Washington will not stand be their friend and business partner Harvey Weinstein. Sure, he had his faults but look at all the money he raised for Democratic causes and all those fine pictures that he bought awards for.

Amadeus 48 said...

One of the questions on the Illinois bar exam the year I took it (we did essays then) was a fact pattern in which a loveless, commercial sexual encounter took place, including an alternative where the john paid with a check that bounced. Rape? Valid consent? Mistake? Larceny by a trick (so to speak)? Breach of contract? Discuss all legal issues that you perceive. Now Harvey has brought those issues into the courtroom in 2020. Expect to hear a lot more about this.

Bilwick said...

"Harvey was there for them. I see no reason why they won't be there for Harvey. Hillary stood by her husband, and there's no reason to doubt that she won't stand by her fund-raiser. I'm sure that right now she's organizing large scale protests for mercy for Harvey . . ."

Hillary's probably on a burner phone to Moose and Rocco, her "helpers," but it's probably not to organize a protest. "Yeah, use a strong rope, because he's kind of a lardbucket."

narciso said...

take ed buck, for instance and his ties to Schiff and other players, when guiffres admittedly dubious accusations against Mitchell and Richardson, came out, where was near silence, but insinuations about trump and dershowitz carried the day for three years,

Mark said...

Just heard Weinstein's lawyers on Martha say that they knew about the biased juror and had questioned her on voir dire, but obviously they did not use one of there preemptory challenges on her. That is fatal to any claim on appeal.

Michael said...

Mark
They were out of challenges when this became known

Maillard Reactionary said...

"Numbness from the heartless brute."

And indifference from me.

rhhardin: "If it's not reported at the time, it didn't happen, ought to be the rule."

Certainly in the case of alleged crimes where there is no physical evidence nor direct third-party observation, I would agree.

And I'm in favor of making rape a capital crime again. But it's an imperfect world. Justice will always be elusive in it.

Arashi said...

So how long until he Epsteins himself?

rhhardin said...

Weinstein can't be too heartless. He made good movies.

Modern producers are the heartless ones.

n.n said...

So how long until he Epsteins himself?

Good question. A self-abortion is likely. Perhaps a robbery gone wrong. Or, if the mood is right, perhaps he will be Gaddafied, sodomized, and aborted.

Iman said...

hutchku...

harvey got some
to teh miramax
time wounds all FATfuck heels

Iman said...

pineapple face
it’s fuckin’ he gets
for the fuckin’ he got

Iman said...

So when Harvey has to trade sex for safety on the inside, it's not rape rape because you know it's a simple mutually beneficial transaction. Right, fellas?

I’ve not heard of that tactic being used before. Were you able to satisfactorily complete these transactions when you were incarcerated?

FullMoon said...

"Let ye without sin pluck out thine own eye"

NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...

Harvey taken to Bellevue with chest pains.

mccullough said...

One woman reported Harvey right away. But David Boies, on behalf of Harvey, bought off the Manhattan DA.

The rule out to be that law enforcement can't be bought off.


hardin is like the guru in Demolition Man who programmed Wesley Snipes not to kill the guru.

Wesley just flipped the gun to a henchman and said, "kill this motherfucker."

Systems break down. A lot. Harvey deserves what he's getting.

Bob Smith said...

The “folks” Harv the Rapist gave money to? Here are some of them.

Barack Obama
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton's Political Action Committee
Senator Chuck Schumer
Senator Elizabeth Warren
Senator Cory Booker
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Senator Richard Blumenthal
Senator Pat Leahy
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
Former Senator Harry Reid
Former Senator Barbara Boxer
Former Senator Chris Dodd (retired)- 1/2 of the Kennedy/Dodd "waitress sandwich"
Former Senator Al Franken (#MeToo)
Former Senator John Kerry
Howard Dean
DNC Services Corporation
Democratic Party
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee

And don’t try to tell me they didn’t know.

daskol said...

Nobody’s saying Harvey’s heartless. Ms. Mann suggested in her testimony that he was missing something else. Couple things, actually.

Amanda said...

Hey hoping they let him bring his cane maybe somebody will beat him to death with it! ; )