Harvey Weinstein, the once-powerful Hollywood producer, has been found guilty of a new sexual assault charge in New York, following a tense retrial that saw jurors clash behind closed doors and one rape charge end in a mistrial.
The jury, made up of seven women and five men, deliberated for five days before convicting Weinstein of sexually assaulting former television production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006, as per BBC. However, he was acquitted of assaulting Polish model Kaja Sokola, and the panel failed to reach a verdict on a third charge of rape brought by actress Jessica Mann.
Weinstein (73) sat in a wheelchair for much of the six-week trial, held at a Manhattan courthouse while he remains incarcerated in California, where he is serving a separate 16-year sentence for rape. His defence team claimed the verdict was tainted by bias and alleged jurors considered past allegations and public perception instead of evidence.
‘This trial was fair until deliberations began,’ Weinstein’s spokesperson said. ‘We intend to appeal. There are serious legal issues that will be explored.’
The retrial was triggered after Weinstein’s original 2020 New York conviction was overturned last year. The state’s Court of Appeals ruled that the trial judge had allowed testimony from women whose allegations were not part of the charges, rendering the initial conviction unsafe. Prosecutors quickly refiled charges, and Weinstein was indicted in September.
During the trial, all three accusers, Haley, Mann, and Sokola, took the stand to describe incidents they say occurred when they were young and seeking career opportunities in the entertainment industry. Each woman detailed how Weinstein used his influence to lure them into private settings and then sexually assaulted them.
The deliberations were described as turbulent, with reports of shouting matches, personal threats, and accusations of jurors trying to coerce each other. One juror reportedly threatened to fight another, prompting the foreperson to withdraw from proceedings and forcing the judge to declare a mistrial on the unresolved rape charge involving Mann.
Despite the chaos, Miriam Haley expressed a sense of justice. ‘This verdict shows that progress is being made she said. ‘It’s not about being the perfect victim anymore.’
Kaja Sokola, who was just 19 when she said Weinstein assaulted her, described the outcome as bittersweet. ‘Coming forward was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But now, some of the truth is finally out,’ she said in a statement.
Jessica Mann, who alleged that Weinstein raped her in a hotel room in 2013, has yet to receive a resolution. Prosecutors have already confirmed they intend to retry Weinstein on her charge, with a new hearing scheduled for 2 July.
Weinstein’s defence attempted to cast doubt on the accusers by pointing to friendly messages they exchanged with him after the alleged assaults. They argued that the relationships were consensual and mutually beneficial, describing them as ‘complicated friendships’.
However, the courtroom heard harrowing testimony that contradicted this narrative, and for one of the women, justice has now been legally confirmed.
Weinstein, whose name became synonymous with the global #MeToo movement, has been accused by more than 100 women over the past decade. While not all allegations led to criminal trials, his convictions in California and now New York suggest he is unlikely to walk free again.
Before his fall from grace, Weinstein was one of the most influential figures in Hollywood. He co-founded Miramax and later The Weinstein Company, producing Oscar-winning films like Shakespeare in Love and The King’s Speech.
Now, instead of red carpets, Weinstein faces more courtrooms and years behind bars.
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