Harvey Weinstein guilty of 3rd degree rape, taken to Bellevue Hospital instead of Rikers

Harvey Weinstein guilty:Read what Jessica Mann, Miriam Haleyi say he did in their own wordsThe verdict was a partial win for the prosecution: Weinstein escaped the two most serious charges of predatory sexual assault, plus one charge of rape in the first degree, which spared him the possibility of a sentence that included life in prison.Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. hailed the verdict as a win and a "good day" for sexual assault survivors, labeling Weinstein as a "vicious serial sexual predator." He said Weinstein faces a prison sentence of at least five years and possibly as long as 25 years. He said sex-crime cases are difficult and complicated but the trial outcome suggests accusers have greater hope that their allegations will be believed."Rape is rape and assault is assault, whether it's committed by a stranger in a dark alley or a domestic partner in a working relationship," Vance said at a news conference following the verdict.Tarana Burke, the woman who created the #MeToo hashtag and helped found the movement, issued a statement praising the verdict and condemning "unjust laws." "Today, a jury confirmed what we all know: Harvey Weinstein committed sexual assault," her statement said. A fourth witness, "Sopranos" star Annabella Sciorra, 59, who testified that Weinstein raped her in her New York apartment in the winter of 1993-94, was intended to help bolster the prosecution's argument about the "predatory" nature of Weinstein's behavior, thus enhancing his sentence if convicted.The not-guilty verdict on those counts suggests the jury did not believe Sciorra's story, or that it was too old to believe beyond a reasonable doubt.Gloria Allred, the women's rights attorney who represents three of the accusers at the trial, including Haleyi, said she was "very happy" with the verdict.