After about a month-long trial and four days of deliberations, the jury tasked with determining the guilt of Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced former movie producer who inspired the MeToo movement, signaled Friday that they have reached a unanimous decision on three charges against him, but were still undecided on an additional two charges.
According to The New York Times, the jury delivered a note to Judge James Burke asking if it was possible to reach a unanimous decision on the three lesser charges, which include charges of first-degree criminal sex acts, first-degree rape, and third-degree rape, but remain split on the most severe charges.
“We the jury request to understand if we can be hung on 1 and/or 3 but unanimous on the other charges,” said the jury’s note, reports the news agency. The first and third charge refer to the predatory sexual assault counts, the most severe charges against Weinstein.
While it’s still unclear whether the jury will vote to convict on the three lesser charges, the most severe of which carries a maximum 25-year sentence, Burke instructed the jury to continue deliberating, on account that they may find themselves coming to an agreement on the two charges over which they’re still undecided.
According to Fox News, Burke told the jury that it isn’t “uncommon for a jury to have difficulty initially in reaching a unanimous verdict, and it is not uncommon for a jury to believe that they will never be able to reach a unanimous verdict. But, after further deliberations, most juries are able to reach a unanimous verdict. And, so, I will ask you to continue your deliberations.”
While the two predatory sexual assault charges are the most serious, and carry a possible life sentence, they are also the most difficult charges in the case to prove.
In order to be convicted on the first count of predatory sexual assault, the prosecution must convince the jury that Weinstein engaged in a first-degree criminal sex act against Mimi Haleyi, a former production assistant for “Project Runway,” and sexually assaulted former “Soprano’s” actress Annabella Sciorra in the early 1990s.
In order to be convicted of the second count of predatory sexual assault, the prosecution must convince the jury that Weinstein engaged in first-degree sexual assault against Jessica Mann, a former actress who had a tumultuous relationship with the producer, and sexually assaulted former “Soprano’s” actress Annabella Sciorra in the early 1990s.
As The New York Times has previously reported, due to the statute of limitations on Sciorra’s allegation, the prosecution was not allowed to pursue sexual assault charges against Weinstein, but has instead used the allegation to build the predatory sexual assault charge, which requires establishing that Weinstein previously engaged in premeditated sexual assault.
Sciorra told the court that, sometime between 1993 and 1994, Weinstein forcibly entered the actress’ New York City apartment, pushed her against the bed, and raped her, reports the news agency.
Haleyi, the first criminal accuser, told the court that Weinstein forcibly removed her tampon and performed oral sex on her when she worked for him as a production assistant.
As The Daily Wire has previously reported, Mann, the second criminal accuser, recalled to the court that she agreed to have a relationship with Weinstein after he forcibly performed oral sex on her during a hotel meeting.
“I made the decision to be in a relationship with him,” said Mann, according to Vulture. “And part of that was because I was sexual with very few people. I entered into what I thought was going to be a real relationship with him — and it was extremely degrading from that point on.”
Mann also told the court that Weinstein forcibly raped her during March 2013, while the two were dating, inside his hotel room.
Donna Rotunno, the lead attorney for Weinstein, asked Mann about why she continually maintained contact with Weinstein for years after the alleged rape, suggesting that Mann wanted to be in proximity to the producer’s power.
“You manipulated Mr. Weinstein every single time – as manipulated as you claim you felt – isn’t it true?” asked Rotunno, who directed the court’s attention to the maintained contact between Mann and Weinstein, reports the news agency.
“How I handled it to survive and process it – yeah, I guess you could say it was manipulation,” retorted Mann, maintaining her actions at the time were designed to protect herself.
Weinstein has denied all wrongdoing.