Donna Rotunno

Donna A. Rotunno is an American criminal defense lawyer, who lives and works in Chicago, IL. She is best known for her work defending men accused of sexual assault,^[1] particularly the unsuccessful defence of Harvey Weinstein in his New York trial for criminal sexual assault and rape.^[2][3] During the Weinstein trial, Rotunno came out as an opponent of the Me Too movement (#MeToo)^[4] as well as an advocate for due process.^[5] Up until Weinstein's conviction in February 2020, Rotunno had only ever lost one sexual assault case.^[6]

Donna Rotunno in 2020

Early life and education

Rotunno was born in the western suburbs of Chicago, the daughter of a food industry executive and an elementary school teacher.^[7] She attended the Immaculate Heart of Mary High School, Westchester, Illinois, the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Rosary College where she earned a BA. She matriculated to Chicago-Kent College of Law where she earned a JD in 2000, and was subsequently admitted to Illinois Bar.^[1][8]

Career

Rotunno began her legal career as a prosecutor in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. She litigated cases in several divisions of the Circuit Court of Cook County, before leaving to become a private criminal defense attorney. In 2005, she became the principal member of her own law firm in Chicago, the Law Offices of Rotunno & Giralamo, PC.^[9] She currently works out of the Marquette Building in the Chicago Loop.^[3]

In 2011, Rotunno represented former Chicago Bear's defensive back Shaun Gayle, who was under investigation for the murder of his pregnant girlfriend, Rhoni Reuter. Gayle was ultimately not charged for the murder and eventually, a woman by the name of Marni Yang was convicted of the crime.^[10] In 2013, Rotunno successfully defended prominent Chicago-based fashion designer Elhadji "Haj" Gueye from charges of sexual assault and rape.^[1] The following year, she successfully defended Stanley Stallworth, a former partner at the renowned law firm Sidley Austin, who had been accused of sexual assault.^[1][11] In 2016, Rotunno represented Mohammad Abdullah Saleem, a cleric and founder of the Institute for Islamic Education in Elgin, Illinois. Saleem was charged with sexual abuse of one child and one woman, he eventually agreed to a plea deal and received probation.^[12]

Rotunno says that her gender has allowed her to defend clients successfully. She has said men can be excellent lawyers, but "if [one] goes at that woman with the same venom that I do, he looks like a bully. If I do it, nobody even bats an eyelash."^[13]

Harvey Weinstein case

In July 2019, Rotunno was hired by Harvey Weinstein.^[14] After being hired by Weinstein, she brought on colleague and frequent collaborator, Damon Cheronis, to assist along with local counsel Arthur Aidala of the law firm Aidala, Bertuna, & Kamins, PC.^[15] During the trial, Rotunno was a vocal advocate for Weinstein, speaking out against his accusers and the #MeToo movement, making remarks such as "The emotion of this case has taken over. There is a truth you have not reported on."^[16] Throughout the duration of the trial, Rotunno's style and choice of clothing was closely covered by media sources who noted her penchant for designer clothing.^[17]

Rotunno received backlash for her comments made to reporter Megan Twohey during an interview for The New York Times's podcast The Daily when she was asked whether she had ever been the victim of a sexual assault. Rotunno responded, "I have not because I would never put myself in that position."^[13] Rotunno said she believed that Weinstein was not guilty, despite what the media may say, clarifying he was only guilty of infidelity.^[18][19] Rotunno and her legal team were successful in securing a not guilty verdict on three counts including two more serious charges of predatory sexual assault.^[20] She said the sentence was harsher than some convicted murderers, and asked the court to take Weinstein's health into consideration.^[21]

References

1. Sciortino, Jeff. "Why Donna Rotunno Defends Men Accused of Rape". Chicago magazine. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
2. Hinton, Rachel (July 5, 2019). "Harvey Weinstein's Chicago lawyers: A trial 'bulldog' and a fan of the Supreme Court — and Sinatra". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
3. O’Connor, Maureen (January 5, 2020). "Who Would Defend Harvey Weinstein?". Vanity Fair. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
4. Ransom, Jan (February 18, 2020). "She's Harvey Weinstein's Lawyer, and She Thinks #MeToo Is 'Dangerous'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
5. Garber, Megan (February 8, 2020). "The Weinstein Trial and the Lies of Due Process". The Atlantic. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
6. Mark, Michelle. "The 'ultimate feminist' defending Harvey Weinstein". Business Insider. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
7. "A Profile Of Donna Rotunno, Harvey Weinstein's Attorney". NPR.org. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
8. "Donna A. Rotunno Lawyer Profile on Martindale.com". www.martindale.com. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
9. Ramey, Corinne (June 27, 2019). "Weinstein Brings on New Lawyers for Sex-Crimes Trial". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
10. Herald, Daily (January 22, 2020). "Marni Yang's defense team looking into Shaun Gayle's alibi". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
11. Lat, David. "More About The Acquittal Of An Ex-Sidley Partner On Sexual Assault Charges". Above the Law. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
12. Houde, George (August 25, 2016). "Elgin Muslim leader admits sex abuse of minor and woman, gets probation". chicagotribune.com. from the original on May 18, 2019. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
13. Sanchez, Ray (February 7, 2020). "Harvey Weinstein's lawyer says she's never been sexually assaulted 'because I would never put myself in that position'". CNN. from the original on February 7, 2020. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
14. Winton, Richard; Queally, James (June 17, 2020). "Who is willing to defend Harvey Weinstein? A third high-powered lawyer wants off case". Los Angeles Times. from the original on June 18, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
15. Reiss, Adam (July 11, 2019). "Harvey Weinstein hires new legal team; lawyer says movie mogul is being 'railroaded'". NBC News. from the original on July 12, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
16. Allaire, Christian (July 11, 2019). "The 4 Most Troubling Facts About Harvey Weinstein's New Lawyer". Vogue. from the original on July 12, 2019. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
17. Givhan, Robin. "Perspective | The women surrounding the Weinstein trial are using their clothes to redefine who has power". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
18. "Weinstein's lawyer Donna Rotunno: 'The fight is not over'". BBC News. March 2, 2021.
19. "Weinstein lawyer Donna Rotunno says he's only guilty of cheating on his wife". The Guardian. February 20, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
20. Ransom, Jan (July 14, 2020). "Harvey Weinstein's Stunning Downfall: 23 Years in Prison". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
21. Mark, Michelle (February 26, 2020). "Harvey Weinstein's attorney says she's 'sickened' by the verdict and blames 'public pressure' for the jurors' decision". Insider. Retrieved November 3, 2020.