Jury reaches verdict in Harvey Weinstein sexual assault trial - CNN

CNN  — 

[Breaking quality update, published astatine 6:05 p.m. ET]

A Los Angeles assemblage reached a verdict Monday successful the intersexual battle proceedings of Harvey Weinstein, the erstwhile movie shaper who is accused of utilizing his Hollywood power to lure women into backstage meetings and battle them. The verdict volition beryllium announced shortly.

Weinstein has pleaded not blameworthy to 7 charges successful all: 2 counts each of forcible rape, intersexual artillery by restraint and forcible oral copulation, and 1 number of intersexual penetration by overseas object.

If recovered guilty, Weinstein could look 60 years to beingness successful prison, positive an further 5 years.

The verdict was reached arsenic jurors entered their 3rd week of deliberations, gathering for a full of 41 hours implicit a play of 10 days.

The disgraced movie mogul, who is accused of utilizing his Hollywood power to lure women into backstage meetings and battle them, awaits a determination from down bars.

Weinstein faces 2 counts of forcible rape and 5 counts of intersexual battle related to accusations from 4 women, including Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a filmmaker and the woman of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who alleged Weinstein raped her successful a edifice country successful 2005.

Weinstein has pleaded not blameworthy to each 7 charges against him. He initially faced 11 charges, but 4 counts connected to an unnamed pistillate were dropped aft she did not testify.

The assemblage had already deliberated for astir 37 full hours erstwhile they adjourned past Wednesday, without a verdict reached.

The erstwhile movie shaper is already serving a 23-year condemnation for a New York intersexual battle conviction. His attorneys person appealed that conviction, which has placed much attraction connected the result of the proceedings successful Los Angeles.

If the assemblage successful Los Angeles finds him guilty, Weinstein could look 60 years to beingness successful prison, positive an further 5 years.

The Los Angeles assemblage has deliberated longer than the New York assemblage successful Weinstein’s archetypal transgression trial, successful which helium was convicted of criminal enactment enactment and third-degree rape aft 26 hours of deliberations.

As deliberations went connected successful Los Angeles, the assemblage asked the tribunal a question and astatine slightest doubly asked for grounds to beryllium work back. Los Angeles Superior Court officials person not provided specifics connected those requests.

The weekslong Los Angeles proceedings saw affectional grounds from Weinstein’s accusers – a model, a dancer, a massage therapist and Siebel Newsom – each of whom were asked to recount the details of their allegations against him, supply details of meetings with the shaper from years ago, and explicate their reactions to the alleged assaults.

In closing arguments, Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Marlene Martinez called Weinstein a “titan” who utilized his powerfulness successful Hollywood to prey connected and soundlessness women.

“Rapists rape. You tin look astatine the pattern,” chap authoritative Paul Thompson told jurors.

“You person irrefutable, overwhelming grounds astir the quality of this antheral and what helium did to these women,” Thompson said.

Meanwhile, Weinstein’s attorneys person maintained the allegations are either fabricated oregon occurred consensually arsenic portion of a “transactional relationship” with the movie producer, repeatedly saying determination is nary grounds of assault.

Defense lawyer Alan Jackson called the accusers “fame and luck seekers.”

The proceedings successful Los Angeles included grounds from the 4 accusers identified arsenic Jane Does successful court, and different witnesses, including experts, instrumentality enforcement, friends of accusers and erstwhile aides to Weinstein.

Additionally, four women testified they were subjected to akin behaviour by Weinstein successful different jurisdictions.

Each greeting astatine trial, Weinstein was brought from a correctional installation and wheeled into the Los Angeles courtroom wearing a suit and necktie and holding a creation notebook.

His accusers each began their oftentimes affectional testimonies by identifying him successful the courtroom arsenic helium looked on.

“He’s wearing a suit, and a bluish necktie and he’s staring astatine me,” Siebel Newsom said past month, earlier what was 1 of the astir affectional moments of the trial.

On Thursday of past week, defence lawyer Jackson asked jurors if they could “accept what (the Jane Does) accidental arsenic gospel,” arguing what they said was a deficiency of forensic grounds supporting their claim.

“Five words that sum up the entirety of the prosecution’s case: ‘Take my connection for it,’” Jackson said. “‘Take my connection for it that helium showed up astatine my edifice country unannounced. Take my connection for it that I showed up astatine his edifice room. Take my connection for it that I didn’t consent. Take my connection for it, that I said no.’ “

Siebel Newsom described an hourslong “cat-and-mouse period,” which preceded her alleged assault. She, similar different accusers, described feeling “frozen” that day.

Attorneys for Weinstein bash not contradict the incidental occurred, but said helium believed it was consensual.

Jackson called the incidental “consensual, transactional sex,” adding: “Regret is not the aforesaid happening arsenic rape. And it’s important we marque that favoritism successful this courtroom.”

Women’s rights lawyer Gloria Allred, who is representing Jane Doe 2 successful the case, told CNN she hopes the assemblage sees her lawsuit “has nary motive astatine each to bash thing but archer the truth.”

“She ne'er sought oregon received immoderate compensation … She doesn’t unrecorded successful California anymore. But she is testifying due to the fact that she’s been asked to attest and I anticipation that they spot her arsenic the young pistillate that she was erstwhile she met Harvey Weinstein, and the pistillate that she is contiguous astir 9 to 10 years later. Her beingness has changed,” Allred said.

“To beryllium consenting to taxable yourself to what could beryllium a precise brutal cross-examination. That takes a precise peculiar idiosyncratic to bash that. And she is simply a peculiar person. I’m precise proud,” Allred said.

In her closing arguments, Martinez besides highlighted the women who testified chose to bash truthful contempt knowing they would look pugnacious conditions successful court.

“The information is that, arsenic you beryllium here, we cognize the despicable behaviour the suspect engaged in. He thought helium was truthful almighty that radical would … excuse his behavior,” Martinez said. “That’s conscionable Harvey being Harvey. That’s conscionable Hollywood. And for truthful agelong that’s what everyone did. Everyone conscionable turned their heads.”