Los Angeles, June 12 (IANS) Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein is facing conviction on one count of committing a criminal sexual act.
However, he has been acquitted on another in his sex crimes retrial in New York City, reports ‘Variety’.
The majority-female jury on Wednesday found the former Hollywood producer guilty of sexually assaulting Miriam Haley, but acquitted him of a second charge of sexually assaulting Kaja Sokola.
As per ‘Variety’, the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on a third count involving Jessica Mann and was told to resume deliberations Thursday morning.
The partial verdict comes after a weeks-long trial that began in April, during which three women testified about the alleged sexual assaults committed by the former Hollywood mogul. Weinstein faced two counts of committing a criminal sexual act in the first degree and one count of third-degree rape.
Prior to the mixed verdict, Weinstein himself addressed the court, urging the judge to declare a mistrial as several jurors reported ongoing tensions in the deliberation room. “This is my life that’s on the line”, Weinstein told Judge Curtis Farber, adding, “I am not getting a fair trial”.
Weinstein then told the judge, “You are endangering me, Your Honor”. Earlier on Wednesday, the jury foreperson in Weinstein’s retrial informed the judge that tensions remained high during deliberations and requested a private meeting with the judge and attorneys to discuss the situation.
In court, Farber conveyed the foreperson’s account, stating that there was infighting among the jurors and that the foreperson was “not going to change his position, whatever that position is”.
“He did indicate that at least one other juror made comments to the effect of ‘I’ll meet you outside one day’, and there’s yelling and screaming”, the judge said. “A crime was committed against this juror”, Weinstein’s lawyer Arthur Aidala argued, describing the situation in the deliberation room as “menacing and harassment”.
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