TL;DR News: 4 Main Things to Know About Harvey Weinstein’s Convinction

Trigger Warning! This article contains discussion of sexual assault. If you find these topics distressing please proceed with caution. Help is always available at 1800 RESPECT.

On February 24, 2020 Harvey Weinstein was convicted of sexual assault and rape. The New York trial was the culmination of a long, highly public investigation in the former Hollywood big wig. The case was driven by the Times Up and Me Too movements; the brave revelations made by actresses Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd; an explosive New York Times report (in 2017) by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, and another by Ronan Farrow in The New Yorker Magazine.

There is understandably a lot of coverage of Weinstein’s conviction… But sometimes we’re just short on time.

Here’s the absolute minimum you need to know.

4 Essential Details on Harvey Weinstein’s Conviction

1. Weinstein was found guilty on two out of the 5 charges. These were:
   – Guilty of a Criminal Sex Act in the first degree, for forcing oral sex on Miriam Haley when she was a producer on Project Runway in 2013
   – Guilty of Rape in the third degree, for his assault on a woman who is not being identified
   
2. He will be sentenced by the judge on March 11, 2020. The first charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 25 years (with a minimum of five years); the second carries a maximum sentence of four years (with no minimum).
   
3. Weinstein was acquitted of three of the charges. These were:
   – Two counts of Predatory Sexual Assault, the most serious of all five charges and would have carried a maximum life sentence.
   – Rape in the First Degree
   
4. Weinstein’s controversial lawyer Donna Totunno confirmed he would appeal the verdict: “He took it like a man. He knows that we will continue to fight for him and knows that this is not over.” He will remain in custody until his sentencing date, and his lawyers have requested he be kept in the prison health facility due to his poor health.

Keen for more in-depth coverage of the Weinstein sexual assault case?

Read The Guardian’s full recap of the verdict here.

See a comprehensive timeline of the events in Harvey Weinstein case here.

Find out why Weinstein’s lawyer, Donna Rotunno was such a controversial figure during his trial here.