Weinstein convicted of sexual assault, rape

Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein was convicted of sexual assault and rape in New York on Monday in a verdict that represented a victory for the #MeToo movement against the sexual harassment and assault of women.

The 67-year-old Weinstein, once one of the most powerful film and television producers in Tinseltown, was convicted of the first-degree criminal sexual assault of former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and the third-degree rape of Jessica Mann, an aspiring actress, in a hotel room in 2013.

Weinstein could face up to 29 years in prison on the two counts. He was acquitted on two other more serious counts of first-degree rape and two counts of predatory sexual assault, which could have led to two life sentences.

The jury of seven men and five women took five days to reach a verdict. Weinstein showed no emotion as he was handcuffed in the courtroom. He was supposed to be taken to New York City's notorious Rikers Island jail, but instead was taken to Bellevue Hospital Center as a "precautionary measure" on Monday evening, his representative said, according to the New York Post.

Weinstein was suffering from high blood pressure when he was redirected to the hospital by a medic in the ambulance, the representative Juda Engelmayer said, the Post reported.

After the verdict, Weinstein's attorney Arthur Aidala told reporters outside the Manhattan Criminal Court: "The words he said over and over again to me is, 'I'm innocent, I'm innocent, I'm innocent. How could this happen in America?'"

Unsuccessful surgery

The judge ordered that Weinstein be held in the jail infirmary after his lawyer said he needed medical attention following unsuccessful back surgery. He is expected to be at Rikers until he is sentenced on March 11.

The trial's outcome was met with mixed emotion from the "silence breakers"－20 of the 100 women who had accused Weinstein of assault.

"While it is disappointing that today's outcome does not deliver the true, full justice that so many women deserve, Harvey Weinstein will now forever be known as a convicted serial predator," they said.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr praised the jurors and said: "Weinstein is a vicious, serial sexual predator who used his power to threaten, rape, assault and trick, humiliate and silence his victims."

Aidala said: "We will be appealing."

At least 100 women have accused Weinstein of sexual assault, including actresses Gwyneth Paltrow, Uma Thurman, Salma Hayek and Annabella Sciorra.

Weinstein, who denied all charges, was a powerhouse producer who made films such as The King's Speech, The English Patient and Shakespeare in Love, all of which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

His spectacular fall from fame was cheered by women who had accused him of abusing his power.

Rose McGowan, an actress who accused Weinstein of rape, tweeted: "Today is a powerful day & a huge step forward in our collective healing."

Mira Sorvino, another actress who accused Weinstein of sexual harassment, said: "Harvey Weinstein has harmed many of our lives, even in our nightmares, long after he initially did what he did to each one of us. We have finally taken that power back.... He will rot in jail."

During the trial, Weinstein was seen entering the courtroom, unshaven and stooped, and using a walker.

The jury listened to weeks of graphic testimony by women who accused him of rape, forced oral sex and attacks.

But Weinstein's lawyers said their client was innocent. They said the women had only come forward because they regretted their encounters. They displayed text messages from the women, such as one from Haleyi in which she wished him "lots of love" after the encounter.