Harvey Weinstein to Serve 23 Years Behind the Bars

In addition to his prison sentence, the disgraced movie mogul has been ordered to undergo five years of probation on charges of sexual assault and rape in court in New York.

AceShowbiz -Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison and five years probation on charges of sexual assault and rape in court in New York on Wednesday, March 11.

Weinstein, 67, entered the court in a wheelchair to face sentencing after a jury convicted him last month of sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haley and raping former aspiring actress Jessica Mann.

Judge James Burke imposed a lengthy sentence of 20 years for the assault on Haley and three years for a third degree rape on Mann, to be served consecutively. He was also sentenced to five years of post-sentence supervision.

According to Variety, addressing the court before sentencing, Weinstein expressed “deep remorse” for his actions but also claimed to be “confused” by his conviction, citing his “serious friendships” with the two victims, and claimed men were not being given “due process” when accused of sexual misconduct.

However, in her victim impact statement Haley said his assault, “scarred me deeply, mentally and emotionally,” and added: “What he did not only stripped me of my dignity as a human being and a woman, but it crushed my confidence.”

Mann, who testified that Weinstein raped her during an abusive relationship, said in her address to the court: “I don’t know how to explain the horrors of being raped by someone who has power. The impact on the psyche is profound. Rape is not just one moment…it is forever.”

Prosecutors had asked Judge Burke to impose the maximum sentence of 29 years to reflect other the gravity of his crimes and other alleged offences over which charges were never brought – with the movie mogul’s attorneys requesting the minimum sentence of five years, claiming a longer sentence would mean he would die in prison due to his apparent health problems.

Four other women who testified against Weinstein during the case were in court for the hearing. Scores of others have also accused the shamed movie mogul of misconduct ranging from harassment to rape, allegations he has denied.

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