Former film mogul Harvey Weinstein was convicted Wednesday of one of many high fees in his intercourse crimes retrial however acquitted of one other, and jurors had been as but unable to succeed in a verdict on a 3rd cost.
The break up verdict meted out a measure of vindication to his accusers and prosecutors — but in addition to Weinstein — after the landmark case was thrown into limbo.
Weinstein’s preliminary conviction 5 years in the past appeared to cement the downfall of one in every of Hollywood’s strongest males in a pivotal second for the #MeToo motion. However that conviction was overturned final 12 months, and the case was despatched again for retrial in the identical Manhattan courthouse.
This time, a majority-female jury convicted the previous studio boss of forcibly subjecting one lady, Miriam Haley, to a felony intercourse act in 2006.
However jurors acquitted Weinstein of one other felony intercourse act cost. It associated to Kaja Sokola, whose allegations of forcible oral intercourse date to 2006 however had been added to the case final 12 months. And jurors had been to proceed deliberating Thursday on a cost that he raped one other lady, Jessica Mann, in 2013. Underneath New York legislation, the third-degree rape cost carries a lesser penalty than the first-degree felony intercourse act offence.
Weinstein, 73, denies sexually assaulting or raping anybody.
Jury deliberations had teetered Wednesday because the foreperson once more requested to talk to the decide about “a state of affairs” he discovered troubling.
The person — who complained Monday that different jurors had been pushing individuals to alter their minds and speaking about info past the costs — was being questioned in personal, at his request.
Whereas the jury was in courtroom to listen to the reply to an earlier request to re-hear the textual content of a rape legislation, the foreperson signalled to Decide Curtis Farber that he needed to speak.
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“He mentioned phrases to the impact of ‘I can’t return in there with the opposite jurors,’” Farber defined later. The foreperson was despatched to attend in a separate room, the place he penned a be aware saying, “I would like to speak to you a few state of affairs.”
When briefly introduced into courtroom, the foreperson mentioned he needed to talk in personal. He, the decide, prosecutors and Weinstein’s attorneys then went behind closed doorways.
The dialogue was closed to the press and public, however Farber later mentioned the foreperson had expressed that he didn’t wish to change his place — no matter it could be — and was being bullied.
“He did point out that not less than one different juror made feedback to the impact of ‘I’ll meet you exterior in the future,’ and there’s yelling and screaming,” the decide mentioned.
Weinstein lawyer Arthur Aidala characterised the foreperson’s considerations extra severely, saying that the person had mentioned he was involved for his security after his fellow panellist talked about assembly him exterior and added, “you don’t know me.”
“I don’t assume the courtroom is defending this juror. Interval,” Aidala mentioned, happening to ask for a mistrial.
Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo, nevertheless, mentioned the foreperson hadn’t appeared afraid or apprehensive, simply “cussed.”
“He mentioned he’d made up his thoughts, he didn’t wish to change it, and other people had been pressuring him to alter it. That’s what jury deliberations contain,” the prosecutor mentioned.
The episode was the most recent signal of pressure among the many jurors. On Friday, one in every of them requested to be excused as a result of he felt one other member of the group was being handled unfairly.
Weinstein’s attorneys requested unsuccessfully for a mistrial then, and once more after the foreperson expressed his considerations Monday. The jury saved deliberating and went by way of Tuesday with out sending any extra messages about interpersonal tensions.
The seven feminine and 5 male jurors began their fifth day of deliberations Wednesday by re-hearing accuser Jessica Mann’s testimony that he raped her in a Manhattan resort room in 2013. The group wrapped up Tuesday’s deliberations by asking to revisit that testimony.
Some jurors appeared to take recent notes Wednesday, whereas others sat impassively as courtroom stenographers learn aloud the requested components of Mann’s days-long testimony. The jury had already reheard a few of the passages final week.
Weinstein, 73, pleaded not responsible to raping Mann and to forcing oral intercourse on two different girls, Mimi Haley and Kaja Sokola. The Oscar-winning producer and former Hollywood powerbroker maintains that he by no means sexually assaulted or raped anybody, and his attorneys portrayed his accusers as opportunists who accepted his advances as a result of they needed a leg up within the leisure world.
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