Dozens of women have come forward in the past eight months to say that Harvey Weinstein abused them, harassed them, bullied them, assaulted them and/or raped them. The overwhelming majority of these victims will never be allowed to tell their stories in a court of law, because of absolutely nonsensical statutes of limitations on rape and sexual assault cases. The NYPD opened up an investigation into Weinstein’s criminal acts – some of which happened in New York – last year. Weinstein’s rape of Pax de la Huerta was recent enough where it could possibly be tried. There were a few more victims who were assaulted within the time frame too, like Lucia Evans. Lucia was an college senior in 2004 when Weinstein allegedly forced her to perform oral sex on him on the couch in his Miramax office. Evans got to tell her story to the grand jury which is hearing an assortment of accusations and evidence gathered by the NYPD and the DA’s office. And now it seems that Weinstein is finally going to be arrested:
Harvey Weinstein will turn himself in Friday to face sex-assault charges in Manhattan, according to law enforcement sources. The pervy producer was indicted by a grand jury following testimony from more than one accuser — including actress Lucia Evans, who claims Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him in 2004, the sources said.
The movie mogul will surrender to a police precinct for fingerprinting Friday morning before being taken to Manhattan Supreme Court, where he’ll appear before Judge Kevin McGrath, sources said. Weinstein has been accused of sexually assaulting and harassing more than 80 women — including “Boardwalk Empire” star Paz de la Huerta, who claims he raped her twice in 2010. De la Huerta’s case is under investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance’s office, sources confirmed, but it’s unclear if it’s connected to the charges Weinstein is surrendering to face.
The grand jury has also heard testimony about Weinstein’s alleged financial fraud, but that will not be part of the charges, sources say. Evans claims Weinstein exposed himself and then pushed her head into his lap during a solo meeting at the former Miramax office in Tribeca in 2004.
I don’t believe that high-profile predators or garden-variety rich people should be allowed to “surrender” or “turn themselves in” quietly. Everyone should get the same treatment, and I want to see a SWAT team descend on Weinstein’s home, and then I want to see him dragged out of the house in cuffs. But whatever, I’m glad there’s finally some movement. Remember, there are some cops in the NYPD’s sex crimes divisions who have been investigating Weinstein for years. They felt like they had a good case against him when he sexually assaulted Ambra Battilana Gutierrez, and when they turned it over to the DA, the DA did nothing. Weinstein still has powerful allies in high places, so we’ll see.
Update: Weinstein surrendered himself at a police station at about 7:30 am.
Harvey Weinstein turning himself in…he’ll come out in the next 2 hours in handcuffs. Just the first step…but a huge moment for the survivors of his sexual predation. pic.twitter.com/p1JHwP4KQQ
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) May 25, 2018
Photos courtesy of WENN, Backgrid.
I’m still blown away by the fact that the DA did not press charges even though the NYPD had sufficient evidence. Hopefully the defendants get their day in court and justice is rightfully served. I would love nothing more than to see this awful piece of human garbage behind bars for life!!!
The DA seems to need a closer look as well. Saying no after there’s plenty of evidence to charge Harvey when there are mountains.
The DA Cyrus Vance was also the same idiot that failed to press charges on Complicit Barbie and her bro for the failed Trump SoHo. NY why do you keep reelecting this loser?
We hope that you choke on prison food
We hope there’s a extra large bar of soap carved into a Weinstein voodoo doll
We hope prison gangs of every stripe find you appealing
Sincerely,
Decent citizens
Hear, hear!
I have something even better. I hope he goes to prison with those small box tv set with a dvd and they give a last flop and digusting movie called ‘Tulip Fever’ while a didck is up his a***.
Ummm… wishing rape on ANYONE is problematic, I have to say. I hate him too, I really do, but I can’t agree with you here.
Revenge rape is NOT ok!!!!!! DO NOT CONDONE RAPE OF ANY KIND! Really, really horrible comment.
I am just angry. That’s all
I don’t know. With child-murderers and serial killers, people wish murder on them, so it doesn’t seem worse to wish rape on a serial rapist. On the other hand, anyone who would carry out that act as revenge isn’t someone you want loose in society, so maybe you have a point.
Revenge or justice?
It’s not only high profile people that get to surrender themselves. I’m a criminal defense attorney and if I’m involved in the case early enough, you bet I surrender my boys. (They’re almost always boys.) it’s safer for them, because they get a stern talking to from me beforehand about invoking their 5th and 6th amendment rights and the cops really appreciate it because it spares them the manpower of having to send 4-6 officers to execute a warrant. And then I get to manipulate the timing such that if I surrender my boy at noon on a Monday, I’m very reasonably assured that the cops will have the paperwork done by 5pm so that the bond hearing before a judge will happen Tuesday morning, and if his family can post the money OR if I can get him a recognizance bond, he’s out by Tuesday night and has spent the least amount of time in custody as possible. (Harvey ain’t getting a PR bond. Sadly, he might very well be able to post. If I’m the prosecutor, I’m arguing No Bond because he’s a danger to the public and a flight risk. With all of my wealthy clients, or the ones connected to the cartels, I always have to overcome the flight risk aspect. His attorneys likely will have to as well.)
Co-sign. I’m a criminal defense attorney here in Manhattan, and when someone is already indicted and coming from out of state they can turn themselves in. It saves another state from having to arrest and then extradite him. And we don’t really do arrest warrants here because NYS law only allows the warrant to be valid for 24 hours.
Also, we have cash bail here. So he can either be ROR’d (released on his own recognizance), bail/bond can be set, or he can be remanded with no bail. Remand is pretty rare, and I’ve only really seen it happen in homicide cases. Expect bail to be in the multi millions though, and he’ll have to surrender his passport I would guess.
I hope this is a mistake but I just heard on the news that his bond could be set at $200. wtf.
Idk where they could be getting that information, the judge makes the bail decision at arraignment. And the judge they named here in NYC, Kevin McGrath, is an experienced former prosecutor from Brooklyn so he knows what he’s doing. Plus, the top charge is a felony and felony bail in Manhattan is definitely not on the $200 range.
Well, thank god they were wrong. It has been set at 10 mil!
There is justice making a move. Now, hopefully he doesnt have the cash to put it up anymore.
ETA this is coming from the same news source that earlier said ‘could be set at $200’
So take that as you will.
Update: Just heard here that the DA will ask for no less than $1 million bail.
He’s already out on a million dollar bail. Go figure.
When I first saw that he was going to be indicted I immediately thought “he’s going to flee the country.” I don’t understand the whole “turning themselves in” either. Go pick his ass up and arrest him! I’m glad his reckoning is finally upon him, though. No more hiding-out-at-spas-seeking-treatment bullshit. I hope he rots in a prison cell for the rest of his life.
I just explained the process in NYC above; I must have been writing at the same time as you were lol
Does anyone else think he’s going to try to kill himself if it looks like he’s going to jail/not getting bail? He has lived in uber luxury for decades and is used to calling the shots (to say the least). I don’t think he’ll be able to stomach having zero control.
Kudos to the women that continue to come forward
Yes. Not just in his case but in others, like Larry Nassar’s. Time’s up, evil bastards.
I don’t care, for all I know there may be even a marching band greeting him there when he turns himself in. What I care about is that hos victims get any kind of justice, meaning that he rots in jail. And as much as I want to believe this is what is going to happen, I am a bit skeptical. The rape and assault cases are difficult as it is and considering the investigation into this pig went on for years and nothing came out of that before his crimes became public, how can we be sure this is not just some show orchestered by some DA to save face. Then they will say, we tried but it didn’t work out. Fast forward 5 years from now and the likes of Scarlett Johhanson and Kate Winslet will say that he did not get convicted, why not work with him? I hope, I really, really hope I am wrong though, and this is a real thing.
This man is so disgusting. He should stay in prison forever
That recording with that poor woman who was brave enough to go back to that monster AFTER he sexually assaulted her wearing a wire…should seal the deal…The reason why POS like Weinstein…AND Trump were able to get away with their crap for DECADES is because they paid off everybody and their Mama…the D.A.’s office AND the police department are as complicit as they can be…it’s disgusting…
This, all day long.
Not the Police they were the ones who wired up that lady and those who worked the case were pretty upset that DA Cyrus Vance declined to prosecute. Cyrus Vance should be named on everything related to this case. His office is only now going through with the prosecution because the knives will be out now if he declined again.
So on these charges, what is his prison time, or is there? In his position of wealth, he can’t possibly walk free can he? Go on house arrest?
He’s been indicted by a grand jury, and here in NY that means that at least the top count is a felony. I”m not sure on sentencing because I don’t know exactly what he’s charged with, but he could possibly get as little as a fine and/or 5 years probation. But he’ll probably get lifetime sex offender registry also, no matter what.
So if he is a registered sex offender, that means travel outside the US can be next to impossible, right?
Also, if he is looking to make a comeback, no one in their right mind will insure him?
I mean, that will be great.
I hope his cellmate needs a big “huggybear.”
It’s Paz de la Huerta, not Pax.
This will change nothing how Hollyweird powerful men will treat woman. sadly.
Good. Now, let’s hope he has to serve time for his many crimes.
Just 32 comments on this story. Im surprised. I thought there would’ve been 200.
Same. I see Rose McGowan has said that she’s thinking about attending his court hearings to support the victims. I feel slightly uneasy about that. I can see her standing up in the courtroom and launching into an unhinged rant.
I made the mistake of reading some comments on the news reports on this. Dozens of women all saying similar things, and people are whining that he’s innocent until convicted and anyway, the women probably went along with it.
And those same people then ask why nobody complained earlier.
Ugly on the inside and on the outside.
Whatever the verdict will be, his life as a HW power player is over.