Anne Milgram: Why Weinstein Verdict is a “Landmark Victory”

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: So, Donna Rotunno, who is the main lead defense attorney for Harvey Weinstein, did a couple of things that raised a lot of hackles and certainly raised a lot of eyebrows. First, she gave the interview to the “New York Times.” I believe it was before the trial actually went into the courtroom, but nonetheless, and she spoke about how, you know, she had never been assaulted, that, you know, women should not put themselves into that position. That was one issue that people took exception to. But then, as it went to the jury, she penned an article that everybody believes Harvey Weinstein dictated for “Newsweek,” calling on the jury to “do the right thing.” How unusual is that and, you know, could she have been censured? I mean, what is the protocol around that kind of thing?

ANNE MILGRAM, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Yes. I mean, it’s worth noting. I mean, this has been a scorched earth defense from day one. They have litigated every single inch of this case and it has been very hard-fought and I think it’s one of the reasons why this is such a landmark victory for the prosecutors and why it’s such an important message that has been sent, because they tried essentially everything they could possibly try to get an acquittal, and that included the last article you mentioned, which, you know, was — it felt like an effort to try to influence potential jurors or the public. You know, I don’t agree with the decisions that she made. But again, I think what’s important to note is that, you know, they tried this case, they did not cede a single thing to the prosecution, they put the government to the test completely on it. And at the end of the day the jury found Weinstein guilty. And so, it didn’t work, ultimately, but it was absolutely a scorched earth defense.