Harvey Weinstein's lawyers plan to appeal after judge sentences the disgraced movie mogul to 23 years
Weinstein defense attorney Donna Rotunno says her client's sentence is 'too harsh'; reaction and analysis on 'The Five.'
Prosecutors labeled Harvey Weinstein a "predator" and a "degenerate rapist" during closing arguments in the Los Angeles sexual assault trial.
Deputy District Attorney Marlene Martinez used her closing argument to emphasize the similarities between Weinstein's accusers' testimony.
"These are eight women who do not know each other," Martinez said, showing the jury a composite image of all of them on a screen. "They all describe the same conduct by the same man."
In her closing remarks, Martinez outlined what she said were Weinstein's consistent tactics across decades. He would arrange to meet with a woman at a hotel. Then he would find a way to bring her into his suite. He would then go from "charming and complimentary to aggressive and demanding," she claimed, either masturbating in front of them, groping them or raping them, often finding ways to prevent them from leaving.
Former film producer Harvey Weinstein appears in court at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center. (AP)
"For this predator, hotels were his trap," Martinez said. "Confined within those walls, victims were not able to run from his hulking mass. People were not able to hear their screams, they were not able to see them cower."
She noted that many of the women before their assaults were reassured by the presence of other women who worked with Weinstein. Those women would suddenly and unexpectedly leave the victims alone and isolated with him, Martinez said.
"He used women to make these women feel comfortable," the deputy district attorney said, "to get their guard down."
For the Los Angeles trial, Weinstein is facing two counts of rape and five other sexual assault charges. He has pleaded not guilty and has said he did not engage in non-consensual sex.
Superior Court Judge Lisa Lench dismissed two counts of forcible rape and two counts of forcible oral copulation against the 70-year-old Weinstein. The move seemed likely to happen after Jane Doe 5 was not mentioned in prosecutors opening statements despite being identified in the indictment.
Harvey Weinstein interacts with his attorney Mark Werksman in court at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center on Oct. 4, 2022 in Los Angeles. (Etienne Laurent via Getty Images)
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The jury is expected to begin deliberations in the case on Thursday, following closing arguments from prosecutors and Weinstein's lawyers.
Weinstein also faces charges in London. Authorities authorized two charges of indecent assault against Weinstein back in June.
In 2020, Weinstein was convicted of third-degree rape against Jessica Mann and one count of a criminal sexual act in the first degree against Mimi Haley. He was acquitted on two counts of predatory sexual assault. The film producer is currently serving out his 23-year sentence.
Weinstein attempted to appeal the rape conviction, but lost in court.
The ruling, issued by a five-judge panel in New York’s intermediate state appeals court, rejected the former film producer’s claims that the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced him by allowing women to testify about allegations that were not part of the criminal case.
Harvey Weinstein filed to appeal his New York conviction, but was denied. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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