Harvey Weinstein, the once powerful Hollywood producer, has been found guilty on one count of engaging in criminal sex. However, he has been acquitted on a second count in his sex crimes retrial in New York. The Manhattan jury, it seems, was unable to agree on a third count of rape, leading the presiding judge to dismiss them for the day, instructing them to continue their deliberations on Thursday.
This development follows earlier reports that hinted at some discord within the jury room. It appears that a note from the jury foreperson to Judge Curtis Farber led to a closed-door conversation. The foreperson reported an atmosphere of conflict among the jurors, a situation that seemed to be impacting their ability to reach a verdict. This raises important questions about the integrity of the trial’s deliberative process.
It should be noted that Weinstein was being retried for sexually assaulting two women, Mimi Haley and Jessica Mann, after his earlier conviction was overturned on appeal. A third woman, Kaja Sokola, was also involved in the charges, though she was not part of the initial trial. The jury acquitted Weinstein of engaging in a criminal sex act with Sokola, whilst finding him guilty of the same act with Haley. The jurors will resume their deliberations on the rape count involving Mann tomorrow.
Reports indicate that Weinstein, aged 73, pleaded not guilty, maintaining that his encounters were consensual. He did not testify during the trial. All three women, however, have courageously come forward to testify, recounting their experiences to the court.
Following the split verdict, Haley expressed gratitude to the jurors, who she felt had seen through the antics of the defense. She spoke of her hope that this result would empower others to speak out and seek justice. Sokola, likewise, expressed satisfaction with the verdict and praised the bravery of the other women who had testified.
The defense has maintained that the women were using Weinstein for his connections, while the prosecution argued that Weinstein wielded his power in Hollywood to prey on women. The prosecution’s case, laid out by Shannon Lucey, hinged on the notion that Weinstein was not used to hearing the word ‘no’. The defense, on the other hand, claimed that Weinstein was involved in mutually beneficial relationships that have been common in Hollywood for years.
According to reliable sources, Weinstein’s initial 2020 conviction was overturned by the New York Court of Appeals last year. They found that the trial judge had wrongly admitted testimony of alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes. Weinstein has also appealed his conviction on sex offenses in Los Angeles in December 2022, where he was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
