Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of committing a criminal sexual act against one woman in his New York retrial. The 73-year-old was acquitted of another count of the same charge relating to a second woman.
The jury did not reach a verdict on a third charge of rape involving a third woman. Weinstein had pleaded not guilty to all three charges, maintaining that all sexual encounters were consensual and denying any assault.
Conviction follows overturned 2020 verdict
The retrial followed a decision by a New York appeals court to overturn Weinstein’s 2020 conviction last year. Prosecutors presented three charges during the retrial—two of which were from the original trial, and a third added last year, accusing him of forcing oral sex on a separate woman.
The charges related to incidents in 2013, including the alleged rape of aspiring actress Jessica Mann in a New York hotel room and sexual assaults against two other women.
Courtroom tension as jury deliberates
The partial verdict came after a tense day in court. The jury foreperson asked to speak to the judge privately about an unspecified “situation”. Earlier in the trial, the same juror had raised concerns about pressure within the jury room and discussions straying beyond the scope of the charges.
The 73-year-old was acquitted of another count of the same charge relating to a second womanGetty Images
Weinstein addressed the court directly before any verdict was announced, pleading: “My life is on the line and you know what? It's not fair... It's time to say this trial is over."
This week also saw calls for a mistrial from Weinstein’s legal team after a juror complained another was being treated unfairly. The judge denied the request.
Weinstein is already serving a California sentence
Weinstein is currently serving a 16-year prison sentence in California after being convicted of rape in 2022. He also denied those charges.
The former film producer became a central figure in the #MeToo movement after multiple women came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct nearly eight years ago. Some of these allegations led to criminal convictions on both US coasts.
Weinstein faces further sentencing in relation to the latest New York conviction.
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