Weinstein Convicted

“Harvey Weinstein was convicted Monday of rape and sexual assault against two women… He was acquitted on the most serious charges, two counts of predatory sexual assault, each carrying a sentence of up to life in prison.” (AP News)

Both sides celebrate the verdict as a victory for the #MeToo movement:

“It took enormous courage for Miriam Haleyi, Jessica Mann, Annabella Sciorra, Dawn Dunning, Tarale Wulff and Lauren Marie Young to come forward and testify… All can now hold their heads high: Their courage is a symbol to others to come forward. The inherent messiness of the case made this prosecution, relying pretty exclusively on witness testimony, a risk: Kudos to Manhattan DA Cy Vance for going ahead, and for seeking conviction on more serious counts as well… his 100-plus accusers have not only guaranteed the end of his career and destruction of his reputation, they’ve helped permanently change the culture. No matter how powerful the man, anything remotely approaching Weinstein’s behavior has become very risky indeed. And that’s the biggest win of all.”
(Editorial Board, New York Post)

“That Mr. Weinstein, 67, even stood trial was a remarkable anomaly. A vast majority of sexual assault cases never reach the courtroom. Most sexual assaults are never reported; of those that are, few ever result in arrest or prosecution. The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network estimates that out of every thousand sexual assaults, only five lead to felony convictions… To be sure, #MeToo aims to accomplish much more than sending the worst offenders to prison. The movement’s reach is ambitious — it demands that we transform our culture of male sexual entitlement and the misconduct it begets. But legal accountability is part of this evolution.” (Deborah Tuerkheimer, New York Times)