Falling Further

Weinstein gets another 16 years in prison on California conviction

When you are on top, you have a long way to fall.

Take the case of Harvey Weinstein. At one time he was arguably the most powerful film producer and distributor in Hollywood, with a slew of hit films and Oscars to his credit.

His favor or wrath could make or break a career. And his wrath was legendary.

For years rumors swirled around his behavior. Particularly he behavior with women.

And for years nothing was done. But that changed.

Spectacularly so.

We won’t go into particulars. There’s already been a lot of press, some documentaries and a detailed book on the case. Suffice it to say most readers are already familiar with the despicable details of Weinstein’s actions.

In 2020, Weinstein was convicted of rape and sexual assault in New York. He’s received a 23-year sentence.

And now, two months after a Los Angeles jury found hi guilty of three counts of rape and sexual assault, Weinstein was sentenced Thursday to an additional 16 years.

Barring a successful appeal in either state, Weinstein will spend the rest of his life in prison.

When allegations about Weinstein first began to surface in the press, it led to a movement that put powerful men on notice: Women were not going to take this kind of behavior any longer.

Some big names saw their careers ruined as stories of their past predatory conduct came to light. With any luck that served as a wake-up call.

Weinstein’s very public fall shows that even very powerful men can be held accountable. And they must continue to be until this kind of behavior is no longer tolerated at any level, but unthinkable on all levels.