WEBVTT 00:02.066 --> 00:04.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: There are many ways the MeToo movement began before the allegations about 00:04.700 --> 00:09.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein were revealed in 2017, but there is no question 00:11.733 --> 00:15.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% that the Weinstein investigation was a milestone moment for what would become an international 00:16.533 --> 00:18.600 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% movement. 00:18.600 --> 00:22.266 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And, as Amna Nawaz tells us, Weinstein's conviction today on two felony sex counts is seen as 00:23.433 --> 00:24.733 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% another important milestone. 00:24.733 --> 00:26.633 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% AMNA NAWAZ: That's right, Judy. 00:26.633 --> 00:30.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Six women testified during the trial that Weinstein assaulted them, but it was cases 00:30.900 --> 00:35.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% involving two of those women, Jessica Mann, a former actress, and Miriam Haleyi, a former 00:35.600 --> 00:38.366 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% production assistant, that led to the convictions. 00:38.366 --> 00:42.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Now, Weinstein was found guilty by a jury of seven men and five woman -- five women, 00:42.666 --> 00:46.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% rather -- on charges of rape in the third degree and criminal sexual assault. He was 00:46.866 --> 00:51.833 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% acquitted of the most serious charges, rape in the first degree and predatory sexual assault. 00:53.866 --> 00:55.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Elizabeth Wagmeister was in the courtroom today. She has been there through the entire 00:55.966 --> 00:58.933 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% trial. She reports for "Variety." And she joins me now. 00:58.933 --> 01:01.033 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Elizabeth, welcome to the "NewsHour." 01:01.033 --> 01:04.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% You were in that room. Everyone has been watching that courtroom from the outside. When the 01:04.866 --> 01:09.533 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% verdict was read, what was the reaction in the room, and specifically from Harvey Weinstein? 01:09.533 --> 01:14.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, "Variety": It's interesting, because, after covering this since January 01:16.466 --> 01:19.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% 6 -- it has obviously been a very long trial - - everyone that has been in that courtroom 01:19.933 --> 01:22.900 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% every day, we have just been waiting for this moment. 01:22.900 --> 01:27.266 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And when the moment finally came, it almost seemed surreal. I'm telling you, there were 01:27.266 --> 01:32.266 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% no loud audible gases, there was no screaming. It felt like nobody in there was breathing 01:33.700 --> 01:35.700 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% when they were just waiting to hear what the verdict was. 01:35.700 --> 01:40.566 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Now, I looked directly at Harvey Weinstein, as I had done throughout this entire trial, 01:42.666 --> 01:45.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% and his face looked just stone cold. It looked like there was no reaction really whatsoever. 01:47.800 --> 01:51.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% But I have got to be honest, it was hard to see Harvey because he was surrounded by a 01:53.566 --> 01:56.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% swarm of court officers. Of course, every day, there are officers inside the courtroom, 01:58.700 --> 02:01.566 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% but the second that that bell rang and they said, the jury has reached a verdict, double 02:01.566 --> 02:04.466 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% the amount of officers that are usually in there came. 02:04.466 --> 02:09.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And they surrounded Harvey. Now, he didn't do anything that would signal that he needed 02:09.100 --> 02:13.700 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% the court officers to be there, but, of course, it's typical that they do surround the defendant. 02:13.700 --> 02:15.833 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% And they certainly did today. 02:15.833 --> 02:18.400 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% AMNA NAWAZ: Now, as we mentioned, that he was found guilty on those two counts, right? 02:18.400 --> 02:23.300 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% Those related to the cases involving two women whose testimony you heard in great detail, 02:23.300 --> 02:25.466 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% Jessica Mann and Miriam Haleyi. 02:25.466 --> 02:28.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% We haven't heard from jurors yet, so we don't know why they decided the way that they did. 02:28.866 --> 02:33.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% But from what you heard in the courtroom, what do you think was most compelling in their 02:33.066 --> 02:35.833 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% testimony that may have led to those guilty charges? 02:35.833 --> 02:40.166 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER: You know, what is really interesting is, particularly with Jessica 02:40.166 --> 02:43.100 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Mann, she had a grueling testimony. 02:43.100 --> 02:48.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% It took three days. She had to be taken off the stand numerous times because she was crying. 02:48.133 --> 02:52.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% At one point, we overheard her in the courtroom saying that she felt like she was having a 02:52.066 --> 02:54.033 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% panic attack. 02:54.033 --> 02:58.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And there was a lot of conversation about how complex her testimony was. Would jurors 03:00.633 --> 03:03.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% believe her? Of course, the defense, they brought up a lot of evidence of phone records, 03:05.066 --> 03:07.800 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% texts, e-mails from these women, but particularly Jessica Mann. 03:07.800 --> 03:12.566 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% She had about five years of communication with Harvey Weinstein. She admitted on the 03:12.566 --> 03:17.466 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% stand, she said, yes, part of this relationship was consensual, but it was complex, he was 03:17.466 --> 03:22.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% abusive, and that does not change that he raped me on the day in March 2013. 03:24.500 --> 03:29.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So that was really the most surprising part of the jury's verdict, that they did decide 03:31.166 --> 03:34.266 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to convict Harvey on rape in the third degree, which came from Jessica Mann. 03:34.266 --> 03:39.266 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% So I would imagine that something of her testimony was very compelling to them. Maybe, actually, 03:41.233 --> 03:43.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% what his defense was thinking would not be credible with her, the fact that it was so 03:43.933 --> 03:48.600 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% complex, that could have actually worked in her favor, that the jurors said, this is clearly 03:48.600 --> 03:53.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% so complex, that there's something here. We believe this woman. She seems so credible, 03:54.766 --> 03:56.900 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% even though she almost seems uncredible. 03:56.900 --> 03:59.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% AMNA NAWAZ: Elizabeth, this is the thing everyone is wondering, we may not know in this moment, 03:59.966 --> 04:02.666 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% but it is what this moment now means. 04:02.666 --> 04:06.966 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% You were in there every day watching the testimony, hearing what people had to say, hearing the 04:06.966 --> 04:09.066 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% defense attorneys. 04:09.066 --> 04:12.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Do you think you can say, OK, this is the significance of this verdict right now? What's 04:12.900 --> 04:14.933 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% your biggest takeaway from the trial? 04:14.933 --> 04:19.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER: I think the biggest takeaway is that Harvey certainly is in was 04:21.966 --> 04:25.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% emblematic of a big, powerful figure, certainly in Hollywood, but, also, this stretches across 04:26.766 --> 04:28.833 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% to numerous different industries. 04:28.833 --> 04:33.500 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Now, this is something that his defense brought up from day one, in their way of saying, this 04:35.466 --> 04:39.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% is why this trial isn't fair. He is Harvey Weinstein. He's been the poster boy, basically, 04:41.033 --> 04:43.366 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% of a whole movement. That's why this isn't fair, and that's why he should be found not 04:43.366 --> 04:45.500 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% guilty. 04:45.500 --> 04:48.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Now, clearly, that's not what the jury came to. But I think that's the big takeaway. That 04:48.200 --> 04:52.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% is the significance, that, for all of these years, certainly in Hollywood, which is the 04:52.133 --> 04:57.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% industry that I cover, that Harvey Weinstein has been seen as a big, powerful figure that 04:58.633 --> 05:01.666 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% could never, ever be taken down, so to speak. 05:01.666 --> 05:06.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And now that has shown that, in a court of law, that women can be heard. These are allegations. 05:08.600 --> 05:11.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Everyone is innocent until proven guilty, but, today, we saw he was found guilty on 05:11.600 --> 05:14.066 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% two different charges. 05:14.066 --> 05:16.433 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% AMNA NAWAZ: That's Elizabeth Wagmeister, reports from "Variety," joining us from New York tonight. 05:16.433 --> 05:16.966 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% Thank you.