Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Harvey Weinstein is being charged for his crimes, but prosecuting other offenders won’t be easy.
Weinstein might be exception with older cases
LOS ANGELES — Harvey Weinstein’s arrest in New York on Friday is a landmark moment in the #MeToo movement.
Yet as authorities work through dozens of cases against famous figures in entertainment and other industries brought on by the Weinstein-inspired wave that began in October, legal hurdles may make such prosecutions the exception.
While men including Kevin Spacey and Mario Batali remain under investigation, the next round of charges could well be against Weinstein again, who also is facing scrutiny from authorities in Los Angeles and London.
One expert said prosecutors in those jurisdictions are unlikely to stand down or shift priorities knowing that Weinstein is now charged with rape and another felony sexual assault in New York, where he pleaded not guilty Friday.
“You never know what’s going to happen with the case there,” said Stacey Honowitz, a longtime prosecutor of sex crimes in Broward County, Florida. “We don’t go easy. Nobody’s going to drop the ball and let New York do it.”
She said it is more likely that authorities in other cities will be energized, and able to build off the charges.
“There’s always strength in numbers,” Honowitz said.
Yet finding prosecutable #MeToo cases has proven difficult.
Los Angeles police said in December that they were investigating 27 entertainment figures, but none have yet resulted in arrests. And L.A. County prosecutors launched a task force in November to evaluate cases, but so far it has brought no charges.
The biggest obstacles by far are statutes of limitations, which have had special prominence amid the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements because so many of the incidents involve women working up the courage to come forward after years of silence.
California, joining other states, recently eliminated its statute of limitations for rape, making the law a closer match for the #MeToo era, but most cases from before the changes are unaffected.