Cliff Notes
- Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of a criminal sexual act in a New York retrial, but not guilty on another count relating to a different woman.
- The jury remains undecided on a rape allegation involving a third woman, and Weinstein has denied all charges against him.
- His retrial follows the overturning of his 2020 conviction, and he is currently serving a 16-year sentence in California for a separate rape conviction.
Harvey Weinstein found guilty of criminal sexual act in New York retrial
Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of committing a criminal sexual act in a retrial in New York.
The 73-year-old was found not guilty of another count of committing a criminal sexual act relating to a second woman.
The jury has so far not recorded a verdict in relation to an allegation of rape against a third woman.
Weinstein pleaded not guilty to all three charges and has denied assaulting anyone or having non-consensual sex.
The case was being retried after an appeals court overturned his 2020 conviction last year.
He was accused of raping aspiring actress Jessica Mann in a New York hotel room in 2013 and forcing oral sex on two other women.
Two of the charges were those he faced during the original trial, while the third – one of the charges of forcing oral sex – was added last year.
The partial verdict came after an extraordinary day which saw the jury foreperson ask to speak to the judge and Weinstein himself call for the trial to be halted.
“My life is on the line and you know what? It’s not fair,” the former movie mogul said. “It’s time, it’s time, it’s time, it’s time to say this trial is over.”
He spoke before there was a verdict on any of the charges.
The foreperson requested to speak to the judge about “a situation”.
The man – who had on Monday complained other jurors were pushing people to change their minds, and talking about information beyond the charges – was questioned in private, at his request.
It episode was the latest sign of jurors under strain. On Friday, one asked to be excused because he felt another juror was being treated unfairly – at which point Weinstein lawyers unsuccessfully asked for a mistrial.
Nearly eight years ago, a series of sexual misconduct allegations against the Oscar-winning movie producer propelled the #MeToo movement.
Some of those accusations later generated criminal charges and convictions in New York and California.
Before the retrial, Weinstein was also serving a 16-year prison sentence after being found guilty of rape in California in December 2022. He had also denied this charge.
Sources
Harvey Weinstein found guilty of criminal sexual act in New York retrial – Sky News
Harvey Weinstein found guilty on one charge in New York sex crimes retrial – The Guardian
Verdict reached in Harvey Weinstein sex crimes retrial – The Independent