Donald Trump said Tuesday that Harvey Weinstein's conviction for sexual assault was a "very strong message." The verdict "changes the course of history" in the fight against sexual violence, said the Manhattan attorney, Cyrus Vance. It was "time" for the producer to "be accountable," said former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has long been criticized for being close to him, on Tuesday.
The former Hollywood mogul was found guilty of sexual assault and rape. A verdict applauded by the #MeToo movement and several of its accusers.
Harvey Weinstein, 67, was immediately imprisoned in Rikers Island prison while awaiting sentencing on March 11. He faces a maximum of 25 years imprisonment.
The jury, however, exonerated him of the aggravating factor of "predatory" behavior, which could have earned him life in prison.
Hospitalized at the end of the day
At the end of the day, he nevertheless left the establishment to be admitted to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan due to chest pain.
His lawyer, Donna Rotunno, announced that he would appeal and that the fight was "not over. "
The producer, who has always assured that his sexual relations were consented, showed no emotion at the announcement of the verdict and made no statement.
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According to one of his lawyers, Arthur Aidala, he repeated: "I am innocent, I am innocent. How can something like this happen in the United States? "
"Rape is rape"
This is the first conviction in a post MeToo case. The conviction, in April 2018, of the actor Bill Cosby resulted from prosecutions started in 2015, before the anti-sexual assault movement started in October 2017.
This verdict of partial guilt, after five days of deliberations, concretizes the fall of the one who made the rain and the good weather in the world of independent cinema during a quarter of a century.
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