Harvey Weinstein discovered responsible of felony sexual assault as jury reaches partial verdict in retrial

A jury discovered Harvey Weinstein responsible of 1 depend in his sexual assault retrial as they returned a partial verdict after days of deliberations. 

Weinstein, 73, confronted three fees. He was accused of third-degree rape, and two counts of first-degree felony sexual assault.

The jury instructed the choose they discovered Weinstein responsible of felony sexual assault in opposition to Miriam Haley. 

The jury discovered Weinstein not responsible of felony sexual assault concerning accuser Kaja Sokola. 

The jury instructed the choose they haven’t reached a verdict on the cost of third diploma rape involving Jessica Mann. The choose despatched the jury dwelling for the day, and instructed them they’d proceed to deliberate on that depend Thursday.

Jury foreperson studies alleged risk from fellow juror

The jury is made up of seven ladies and 5 males. They began deliberating on June 5. The decision got here after days of apparently tense deliberations, with jurors sending notes to the choose asking to talk with him privately. Weinstein’s protection attorneys has repeatedly requested for a mistrial.

Wednesday, the jury foreperson requested to talk to the choose in non-public, saying there was infighting happening between the jurors over the rape depend, with one allegedly telling one other they’d meet them outdoors at some point as an obvious risk.

In keeping with a transcript, the foreperson mentioned, “Someone discuss to me, ‘Oh, we’ll see you outdoors,’ as a result of I bought my determination. I say, ‘No, that is my private determination. You do not have to vary me.'”

That prompted the protection legal professional to name for a mistrial and recommend the juror file a criticism with police.

Regardless of all of the preventing between attorneys, Weinstein himself then mentioned, “This is not honest. This is not proper. I am the one on trial. That is my life that is on the road, I’m not getting a good trial. You’re endangering me.”

Weinstein’s protection legal professional Arthur Aidala instructed the choose he was disgusted by what was taking place. The choose instructed Aidala the strain within the jury room seems to be schoolyard antics.

The juror foreperson instructed the choose he does really feel secure returning to court docket Thursday, however as a substitute of going to the jury room, he’ll meet with a court docket officer and have court-appointed safety.

Accusers Kaja Sokola, Jessica Mann, Miriam Haley converse out

As a result of the jury continues to be deliberating on the remaining depend, neither the prosecutors nor protection attorneys might remark concerning the final result to the press. Weinstein’s publicist, nevertheless, mentioned the break up verdict continues to be a win.

“So in the present day we think about this a victory, a win for us, as a result of he beat the hardest cost, which was Kaja Sokola, which is the brand new cost, which meant that the clock would’ve needed to begin ticking once more,” publicist Juda Engelmayer mentioned, “whereas on the opposite two, he is already served time for them. So no matter time he may get on this, he is already served five-and-a-half, six years.”

However the lawyer for Sokola mentioned this can be a victory for all ladies who testified and survivors all over the place Despite the fact that Weinstein was not discovered responsible on her depend, the lawyer mentioned Sokola’s reality was heard, and her testimony helped carry down a person who believed he was untouchable.

“I am very blissful he is convicted. That is all that issues,” Sokola mentioned.

“I knew how exhausting it’s to show affordable doubt for a criminal offense that occurred nearly 20 years in the past. I made positive Kaja knew it, too, and he or she nonetheless stood in her reality, and historical past goes to recollect her for that,” legal professional Lindsay Goldbrum mentioned.

“I really hope from the underside of my coronary heart that standing proper right here now will give braveness to others to talk up, to do not undergo in silence. As a result of struggling and residing with a trauma like this with out sharing with different folks is like most cancers, it could possibly eat you alive,” Sokola mentioned.

Gloria Allred, Haley’s legal professional, known as her consumer “the actual hero of this case … as a result of he was convicted not as soon as however twice based mostly on her testimony.”

“The protection set a really disruptive and chaotic tone from the very starting of this trial, which I suppose was meant to distract jury from simple details. And I am so grateful that they noticed by means of the nonsense and the antics,” Haley mentioned.

In a press release, Haley mentioned the decision offers her hope.

“Hope that there’s a new consciousness round sexual violence, and that the parable of the ‘excellent sufferer’ is fading. I hope this consequence empowers others to talk out and search justice,” she wrote, partly.

Mann launched a press release.

“I’d by no means lie about rape or use one thing so traumatic to harm somebody,” Mann mentioned in her assertion. “Coming ahead price me every little thing. My privateness, my security. I laid naked my trauma, my disgrace – every little thing I might tried to bury simply to maintain residing. Nonetheless, I stood up and instructed the reality. Time and again.” 

Authorized professional on Wednesday’s happenings

“That is actually uncommon,” mentioned Wealthy Schoenstein, vice chair of litigation apply at Tarter Krinsky & Drogin. “We’re effectively into deliberations, and the jury basically mentioned we have agreed on two of the three counts. On one of many counts, we discover him responsible. On one other of the counts, we discover him not responsible. And on the third depend we’ve not been capable of attain a choice. And keep in mind, every depend is principally a distinct sufferer … that is only a completely different determination with respect to every of three ladies.” 

The fees in opposition to Harvey Weinstein

The trial concerned accusations from three ladies: Haley, Mann and Sokola.

Haley and Sokola each testified Weinstein forcibly carried out oral intercourse on every of them on separate events – Haley at Weinstein’s condo in July 2006 and Sokola at a Manhattan lodge someday in late April or early Could 2006.

Mann testified Weinstein raped her at a New York lodge in 2013.

All three accusers took the stand in the course of the trial, together with Sokola’s former roommate and an ex-aide who labored for Weinstein’s movie manufacturing firm. Weinstein himself determined to not testify, his legal professional mentioned.

Haley and Mann’s accusations have been the main target of Weinstein’s unique 2020 trial. Sokola got here ahead along with her accusations as that trial was ongoing, and the associated fees have been added to the retrial.

Harvey Weinstein trial timeline

These fees date again to October 2017 when a bombshell exposé into Weinstein’s alleged misconduct was printed in The New York Instances, sparking the #MeToo motion.

He surrendered to police in Decrease Manhattan months later, in Could 2018, and was arraigned on a number of intercourse assault fees, a few of which have been later tossed.

As his New York trial bought underway in January 2020, he was additionally indicted on separate intercourse assault fees in Los Angeles.

On Feb. 24, 2020, after 5 days of deliberations, Weinstein was discovered responsible of third-degree rape and felony sexual act. He was acquitted of three different counts, together with predatory sexual assault. The next month, he was sentenced to 23 years in jail.

In December 2022, a Los Angeles jury discovered Weinstein responsible of three counts of sexual assault, together with rape. Two months later, he was sentenced to 16 years in jail on these fees.

Weinstein’s 2020 conviction was overturned by the State of New York Court docket of Appeals in April 2024 as a result of the choose within the unique trial allowed prosecutors to name alleged victims whose accusations weren’t a part of the fees in opposition to Weinstein.

The retrial started April 23, 2025, with Weinstein going through an extra new intercourse crime cost. The trial lasted simply over 5 weeks, with closing arguments given on June 3. Jury deliberations started June 5.

The Related Press

contributed to this report.