On June 11, Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of one out of three sex crime charges following a mixed verdict. This came after an appeal of his 2020 conviction. According to the New York Times, he was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual act, which involved forcing oral sex on Mimi Haley, a former producer for Project Runway. However, he was acquitted on a second charge of first-degree sexual act, relating to allegations of oral assault against Kaja Sokola. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on the third charge of third-degree rape against Jessica Mann. The Times also reported that there were heated arguments among the jury members during deliberations, including instances of yelling and screaming.
In 2020, Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of rape and sexual assault in New York. However, his conviction was overturned on appeal in 2024, leading to a second trial in 2025. The original verdict was overthrown due to an appeals court decision that Judge James M. Burke had allowed testimony from accusers not included in the indictment, which was deemed as an abuse of judicial discretion because it didn’t provide evidence related to Weinstein’s credibility regarding the specific charges against him. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg decided to re-try Weinstein with only three accusers in the 2025 trial.
I, as an admirer of truth and justice, would like to highlight the testimonies of three women who bravely stood against a powerful figure. Miriam “Mimi” Haley, Jessica Mann, and Kaja Sokola, all of whom have shared their harrowing experiences, were key figures in the original trial.
In 2006, while working on a production for Project Runway, Mimi Haley claims that she was subjected to non-consensual oral sex by Weinstein at his SoHo house. Kaja Sokola, who joined this proceedings later, alleges a physical assault and a forced act of the same nature in a hotel that very same year. Lastly, Jessica Mann testified that Weinstein raped her in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013.
Their courage to speak out against such alleged acts of harassment and violence is truly inspiring, and their testimonies serve as a stark reminder of the need for change and justice in our society.
After the court decision, I myself am still navigating through other legal challenges. As of now, I’m appealing my 2022 conviction in Los Angeles, which resulted in a 16-year prison sentence as reported by PBS. Furthermore, I’ve initiated a lawsuit against my brother and former business partner Bob Weinstein, as well as David Glassner from the Weinstein Company, for alleged fraud. The jury will reconvene on June 21 to deliver their verdict on the third charge.
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2025-06-11 21:55