“Weinstein no longer has options. Justice has prevailed

After being sentenced to an additional 16 years last week, Harvey Weinstein likely to spend the rest of his life behind bars. Weinstein is appealing his rape and sexual assault convictions, but survivors feel they have finally received justice.

“Today he will be sentenced. He can’t hurt anyone anymore. ” Evgeniya Chernyshovaknown in the case as Jane Doe #1, said at Weinstein’s sentencing on February 23 in criminal court in downtown Los Angeles.

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“I am firmly convinced that this judgment and the maximum sentence will restore the trust of many survivors in the judicial system,” said Chernyshova said the judgeMoments before Weinstein was handed his sentence.

Chernyshova was the only woman to give victim testimony in the courtroom Weinstein’s convictionbecause she is the only accuser whose testimony reached the jury Conviction of Weinstein on three counts. But during the two-month trial, eight women took the stand to testify about their alleged experiences with Weinstein.

Jane Doe #3, a masseuse who has remained anonymous outside the courtroom, testified about numerous cases where Weinstein allegedly assaulted her at massage appointments. The jury acquitted Weinstein of sexual battery charging in connection with her allegations. Nonetheless, Jane Doe #3 expressed relief at Weinstein’s conviction.

“Justice prevailed for the survivors,” she said in a statement from her attorneys. “No woman need fear Harvey Weinstein anymore as he will never leave prison. I testified against Harvey Weinstein and stared this monster in the eye for three days in a brutal trial in which Weinstein’s attorneys attempted to frame me and all of his accusers by claiming that Harvey was the victim of the #MeToo movement. Today the court dismissed that notion and gave Harvey what he deserved.”

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Attorneys for Jane Doe #3, Debra Katz, Lisa Banks and Genie Harrison, applauded her and the other survivors for coming forward against Weinstein.

“Society owes a debt of gratitude to the brave women who ended Weinstein’s reign of terror as one of history’s most prolific sexual abusers,” the attorneys said in a joint statement. “It is fitting that he will live out the memory of his miserable life behind bars.”

Jennifer Siebel Newsom, wife of Gov. Gavin Newsom and the most prominent witness at the trial, said that justice was done in Weinstein’s conviction, but cautioned the public not to ignore the larger problems of systemic abusers and enablers. “This entire process was one of the toughest experiences of my life,” she said said in a video The day on which Weinstein was convicted. “But most importantly, we all have a role to play in healing this culture where violence against women is the norm.”

Siebel Newsom’s attorney, Elizabeth Fegan, says that despite the jury’s mixed verdict, Weinstein’s conviction was made possible by “eight very brave women who stood up to this serial rapist.” In addition to representing Siebel Newsom in the trial, Fegan also represented former actor and dancer Ashley Matthau. who said it was attacked Born in 2003 by Weinstein in Puerto Rico, where she worked on location as a dancer in the Miramax film Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights.

“My clients, California First partners Jennifer Siebel Newsom and Ashley Matthau, were determined that they were not happy with Harvey Weinstein’s New York verdict, particularly with an appeals process,” says Fegan. “Their testimony gave them the strength to reclaim their voice, both for themselves and on behalf of the many other women who were abused by Harvey Weinstein. It cannot erase the trauma suffered, but it can serve as a catalyst for change and bring hope to other survivors.”

Louisette Geiss, a writer, copywriter and actress, testified at the trial as a corroborating witness for Siebel Newsom. She was not asked about her own experience on the witness stand, but she was one of the first prosecutors 2017 progressed with allegations of sexual abuse against Weinstein.

“I am beyond grateful that Judge Lench sentenced Harvey Weinstein to enough years to ensure that he could never harm another woman again,” says Geiss diversity. “Having to testify was beyond challenging for me and my family, but with that phrase I know it was all for the greater good. It is time serial offenders felt the wrath of the justice system.”

goat spoke with diversity outside the courthouse with fellow Silence Breaker cast member Caitlin Dulany, who in 2017 accused Weinstein of assaulting her at the 1990s Cannes Film Festival. Dulany has become a prominent survivor activist, having been elected to the Los Angeles Local Board of Directors by SAG-AFTRA and serving on its Sexual Harassment Prevention Committee. “While the sexual assault I suffered at the hands of Harvey Weinstein more than 27 years ago will always carry a deep sadness and heaviness in my heart, today I feel vindicated,” Dulany says.

For Dulany, Weinstein’s recent conviction represents much more than just the Los Angeles trial. She says the conviction is significant for the more than 100 women who have publicly accused Weinstein — many of whom will never get their day in court due to the statute of limitations and other factors.

“Knowing that Weinstein was sentenced to 16 years in prison for the crimes he committed against me and others ensures that some degree of justice was served today,” she says. “I stand with my fellow survivors who have bravely come forward to tell the world about their experiences with Weinstein and to relive those stories year after year, trial after trial, to be a collective voice for all survivors, especially for the voiceless. While time in prison could never undo the trauma Weinstein inflicted on each of his victims – a trauma we carry and continue to carry with us every day of our lives – I have a sense of peace knowing that he will probably spend the rest of his life in prison.”

Silence breaker Jessica Barth, who sat in the courtroom with Dulany and Geiss at Weinstein’s sentencing, called the sentencing “a victory for all survivors of sexual violence.” She hopes the historical outcome of the Weinstein saga will have a positive impact on how the justice system handles sex crime cases, which are notoriously difficult to prosecute and statistically largely ignored.

“Judge Lench’s decision should encourage the LA District Attorney’s Office to pursue the numerous cases that remain under review by its office — many for several months, some for years,” Barth said diversity. “Every victim of such hideous crimes deserves that his voice is heard.” (Barth signals sacrifices in need to contact her non -profit organization, Voices in action.)

While Weinstein was sentenced to back-to-back prison terms in New York and Los Angeles, he is appealing both convictions. Weinstein, who denies all allegations of sexual assault, faces a tough legal battle, and many of his accusers said they are no longer worried about him being released after serving two lengthy prison sentences in two different jurisdictions.

Before Weinstein’s lawyers made their statements intergrnto Complainttried to get a new trial with a new jury, which the judge rejected. Chernyshova will likely be the main subject of Weinstein’s appeal in Los Angeles as she was the basis for the unsuccessful request for a new trial. The Russian model, which announced that Weinstein raped her in 2013 during the La Italia Film Festival, has become the main focus of Weinstein’s defense, which says that she withheld relevant information and accused her of having a financial motive after her submitted a civil lawsuit Against Weinstein.

Chernyshova’s attorney, Dave Ring, is not concerned about the prospect of Weinstein’s appeal. “Weinstein no longer has a choice and justice has prevailed,” says the lawyer.

“It took tremendous courage for Jane Doe #1 and the other victims to come forward and testify against Weinstein,” adds Ring. “Jane Doe #1 endured two full days of ardent cross-examination by Weinstein’s attorneys, but the jury found him unanimous and now the court has convicted him.”

Although Weinstein’s conviction is welcomed by his network of survivors, all say there is still work to be done for victims of sexual violence.

The women’s rights activist and top-class lawyer Gloria Allred, who represented three women in Weinstein’s La trial, was disappointed that all of her clients were there is no opportunity make victim testimonies at the hearing of the verdict. (The judge only allowed Chernyshova to testify in court, as the other women’s testimony did not result in a conviction.)

Now Allred is fighting for more rights for the victims she believes should be able to have their say in court hearings for their alleged perpetrators. The attorney has filed a petition with the California Circuit Court of Appeals seeking a ruling clarifying that her clients have the right to testify about the victim’s impact at Harvey Weinstein’s sentencing, even without a conviction regarding her allegations.

“There was justice for Harvey Weinstein, but very little justice for the three victims I am representing who testified at his Los Angeles criminal trial,” Allred says diversity. “Although all of my clients have testified either before the grand jury or in court, or both, the judge in this case has denied them what we call their constitutional right under the California Constitution, in today’s sentencing of Harvey Weinstein, to testify about the.” to give sacrificial effect. This denial was deeply hurtful to her.”

“This case is bigger than asking how many years are in Harvey Weinstein’s sentence,” Allred continues. “It’s about a victim’s right to be heard in a court hearing a sentence. Victims matter and their voices matter.”

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