New York jury convicts Harvey Weinstein of top charge in #MeToo sex crimes retrial

Former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was convicted connected Wednesday of 1 of nan apical charges successful his sex crimes retrial but acquitted of different and jurors were arsenic yet incapable to scope a verdict connected a 3rd charge.

The divided verdict was a measurement of vindication to his accusers and prosecutors, but besides to Weinstein aft nan landmark lawsuit was thrown into limbo.

Weinstein's first condemnation 5 years agone seemed to cement nan downfall of 1 of Hollywood’s astir powerful men successful a pivotal infinitesimal for nan #MeToo movement.

But that condemnation was overturned past twelvemonth and nan lawsuit was sent backmost for retrial successful nan aforesaid Manhattan courthouse.

This time, a majority-female assemblage convicted nan erstwhile workplace leader of forcing oral activity connected Miriam Haley to a criminal activity enactment successful 2006.

But jurors acquitted Weinstein of different criminal activity enactment complaint against Kaja Sokola nan aforesaid year.

And jurors were to proceed deliberating connected a complaint that he raped different female successful 2013.

Under New York law, nan third-degree rape complaint carries a lesser punishment than nan first-degree criminal activity enactment offence.

Weinstein, 73, denies sexually assaulting aliases raping anyone.

Jury deliberations had teetered connected Wednesday arsenic nan foreperson again requested to speak to nan judge astir "a situation" he recovered troubling.

The man, who complained connected Monday that different jurors were pushing group to alteration their minds and talking astir accusation beyond nan charges, was being questioned successful private, astatine his request.

While nan assemblage was successful tribunal to perceive nan reply to an earlier petition to re-hear nan matter of a rape law, nan foreperson signalled to Judge Curtis Farber that he wanted to talk.

"He said words to nan effect of 'I can't spell backmost successful location pinch nan different jurors,'" Farber explained later. The foreperson was sent to hold successful a abstracted room, wherever he penned a statement saying, "I request to talk to you astir a situation."

When concisely brought into court, nan foreperson said he wanted to speak successful private. He, nan judge, prosecutors and Weinstein's lawyers past went down closed doors.

The chat was closed to nan property and public, but Farber later said nan foreperson had expressed that he didn't want to alteration his position and was being bullied.

"He did bespeak that astatine slightest 1 different juror made comments to nan effect of 'I'll meet you extracurricular 1 day,' and there's yelling and screaming," nan judge said.

Weinstein lawyer Arthur Aidala characterised nan foreperson's concerns much severely, saying that nan man had said he was concerned for his information aft his chap panellist talked astir gathering him outside.

"I don't deliberation nan tribunal is protecting this juror. Period," Aidala said, going connected to inquire for a mistrial.

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo, however, said nan foreperson hadn't seemed acrophobic aliases apprehensive, conscionable "stubborn."

"He said he'd made up his mind, he didn't want to alteration it, and group were pressuring him to alteration it. That's what assemblage deliberations involve," nan charismatic said.

Strain among jurors

The section was nan latest motion of strain among nan jurors. On Friday, 1 of them asked to beryllium excused because he felt different personnel of nan group was being treated unfairly.

Weinstein's lawyers asked unsuccessfully for a mistrial past and again aft nan foreperson expressed his concerns connected Monday. The assemblage kept deliberating and went done Tuesday without sending immoderate much messages astir interpersonal tensions.

The seven female and 5 antheral jurors started their 5th time of deliberations connected Wednesday by re-hearing accuser Jessica Mann's grounds that he raped her successful a Manhattan edifice room successful 2013.

The group wrapped up Tuesday's deliberations by asking to revisit that testimony.

Some jurors appeared to return caller notes connected Wednesday, while others sat impassively arsenic tribunal stenographers publication aloud nan requested parts of Mann's days-long testimony. The assemblage had already reheard immoderate of nan passages past week.

Weinstein pleaded not blameworthy to raping Mann and to forcing oral activity connected 2 different women, Mimi Haley and Kaja Sokola.

The Oscar-winning shaper and erstwhile Hollywood powerbroker maintains that he ne'er sexually assaulted aliases raped anyone and his lawyers portrayed his accusers arsenic opportunists who accepted his advances because they wanted a limb up successful nan intermezo world.