Latest news with #Farber
6 days ago
- Entertainment
Weinstein could be sentenced next month, if no retrial on unresolved rape charge
NEW YORK -- NEW YORK (AP) — Harvey Weinstein faces sentencing and a possible retrial in his New York City sex crimes case, but when they'll happen — and whether he'll be back in front of another jury — is still up in the air. Manhattan Judge Curtis Farber said Wednesday he could sentence Weinstein on Sept. 30 — but only if there's no retrial on a rape charge that the last jury failed to reach a verdict on. Weinstein, 73, was convicted in June of forcing oral sex on TV and movie production assistant and producer Miriam Haley in 2006. The charge carries a possible sentence of up to 25 years in prison. At the same time, the jury acquitted him of forcing oral sex on another woman, one-time model Kaja Sokola, but couldn't decide a charge that he raped hairstylist and actor Jessica Mann in 2013. Manhattan prosecutors told Farber that they're ready to take Weinstein to trial for a third time on the rape charge, which is punishable by up to four years in prison. That's less time than Weinstein has already served. Mann is on board to testify again, they said. Prosecutors requested a January trial date, citing witness availability and their own caseload. Farber balked at that, saying a January date is too far away and conflicts with another, unrelated trial he's already scheduled. He proposed having the trial in the fall. 'The case needs to be tried this year,' Farber said. Weinstein lawyer Arthur Aidala agreed, telling Farber he'd prefer a trial at 'the earliest the court can accommodate us.' Assistant District Attorney Nicole Blumberg said she would ask Mann and other witnesses about their availability for a trial in the fall. If a fall trial happens, it would likely put Weinstein's high-profile #MeToo case back in court as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is in the final throes of his reelection bid. Bragg, a first-term Democrat who made prosecuting sex crimes cases a priority, has expressed satisfaction with Weinstein's conviction on a criminal sex act charge in the Haley assault and has been resolute in wanting the Oscar-winning studio boss retried on the Mann rape charge. 'The jury was not able to reach a conclusion as to Ms. Mann, and she deserves that,' Bragg said in June. 'This work, first and foremost, is about the survivors and that's why we're prepared to go forward.' Aidala told reporters outside court that, in his view, it's on prosecutors to resolve the rape charge — either by dropping it and clearing the way for sentencing, or promptly taking it to trial again. Weinstein sat in court in a wheelchair while wearing a blue suit and black-rimmed glasses. The 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Shakespeare in Love' producer is committed to fighting the rape charge at another trial, Aidala said, though the lawyer didn't rule out the possibility of reaching a deal with prosecutors to end the case. For now, the trial date remains unresolved, leaving Weinstein's possible Sept. 30 sentencing in limbo. At Weinstein's first trial in 2020, jurors convicted him of raping Mann and forcing oral sex on production assistant and producer Miriam Haley. Then an appeals court overturned those convictions and sent the case back for retrial because of legal issues involving other women's testimony. This spring, a new jury convicted him again of sexually assaulting Haley and acquitted him of doing the same to another woman who wasn't part of the first trial. But amid fractious deliberations, the majority-female jury got stuck on the charge related to Mann. Mann has testified that she also had a consensual, on-and-off relationship with the then-married Weinstein, but that she told him 'I don't want to do this' as he cornered her in the hotel room. She said he persevered with advances and demands until she 'just gave up.'
San Francisco Chronicle
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Weinstein could be sentenced next month, but only if there's no retrial on an unresolved rape charge
NEW YORK (AP) — Harvey Weinstein faces sentencing and a possible retrial in his New York City sex crimes case, but when they'll happen — and whether he'll be back in front of another jury — is still up in the air. Manhattan Judge Curtis Farber said Wednesday he could sentence Weinstein on Sept. 30 — but only if there's no retrial on a rape charge that the last jury failed to reach a verdict on. Weinstein, 73, was convicted in June of forcing oral sex on TV and movie production assistant and producer Miriam Haley in 2006. The charge carries a possible sentence of up to 25 years in prison. At the same time, the jury acquitted him of forcing oral sex on another woman, one-time model Kaja Sokola, but couldn't decide a charge that he raped hairstylist and actor Jessica Mann in 2013. Manhattan prosecutors told Farber that they're ready to take Weinstein to trial for a third time on the rape charge, which is punishable by up to four years in prison. That's less time than Weinstein has already served. Mann is on board to testify again, they said. Prosecutors requested a January trial date, citing witness availability and their own caseload. Farber balked at that, saying a January date is too far away and conflicts with another, unrelated trial he's already scheduled. He proposed having the trial in the fall. 'The case needs to be tried this year,' Farber said. Weinstein lawyer Arthur Aidala agreed, telling Farber he'd prefer a trial at 'the earliest the court can accommodate us.' Assistant District Attorney Nicole Blumberg said she would ask Mann and other witnesses about their availability for a trial in the fall. If a fall trial happens, it would likely put Weinstein's high-profile #MeToo case back in court as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is in the final throes of his reelection bid. Bragg, a first-term Democrat who made prosecuting sex crimes cases a priority, has expressed satisfaction with Weinstein's conviction on a criminal sex act charge in the Haley assault and has been resolute in wanting the Oscar-winning studio boss retried on the Mann rape charge. 'The jury was not able to reach a conclusion as to Ms. Mann, and she deserves that,' Bragg said in June. 'This work, first and foremost, is about the survivors and that's why we're prepared to go forward.' Aidala told reporters outside court that, in his view, it's on prosecutors to resolve the rape charge — either by dropping it and clearing the way for sentencing, or promptly taking it to trial again. Weinstein sat in court in a wheelchair while wearing a blue suit and black-rimmed glasses. The 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Shakespeare in Love' producer is committed to fighting the rape charge at another trial, Aidala said, though the lawyer didn't rule out the possibility of reaching a deal with prosecutors to end the case. For now, the trial date remains unresolved, leaving Weinstein's possible Sept. 30 sentencing in limbo. At Weinstein's first trial in 2020, jurors convicted him of raping Mann and forcing oral sex on production assistant and producer Miriam Haley. Then an appeals court overturned those convictions and sent the case back for retrial because of legal issues involving other women's testimony. This spring, a new jury convicted him again of sexually assaulting Haley and acquitted him of doing the same to another woman who wasn't part of the first trial. But amid fractious deliberations, the majority-female jury got stuck on the charge related to Mann. Mann has testified that she also had a consensual, on-and-off relationship with the then-married Weinstein, but that she told him 'I don't want to do this' as he cornered her in the hotel room. She said he persevered with advances and demands until she 'just gave up.'
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Weinstein could be sentenced next month, but only if there's no retrial on an unresolved rape charge
NEW YORK (AP) — Harvey Weinstein faces sentencing and a possible retrial in his New York City sex crimes case, but when they'll happen — and whether he'll be back in front of another jury — is still up in the air. Manhattan Judge Curtis Farber said Wednesday he could sentence Weinstein on Sept. 30 — but only if there's no retrial on a rape charge that the last jury failed to reach a verdict on. Weinstein, 73, was convicted in June of forcing oral sex on TV and movie production assistant and producer Miriam Haley in 2006. The charge carries a possible sentence of up to 25 years in prison. At the same time, the jury acquitted him of forcing oral sex on another woman, one-time model Kaja Sokola, but couldn't decide a charge that he raped hairstylist and actor Jessica Mann in 2013. Manhattan prosecutors told Farber that they're ready to take Weinstein to trial for a third time on the rape charge, which is punishable by up to four years in prison. That's less time than Weinstein has already served. Mann is on board to testify again, they said. Prosecutors requested a January trial date, citing witness availability and their own caseload. Farber balked at that, saying a January date is too far away and conflicts with another, unrelated trial he's already scheduled. He proposed having the trial in the fall. 'The case needs to be tried this year,' Farber said. Weinstein lawyer Arthur Aidala agreed, telling Farber he'd prefer a trial at 'the earliest the court can accommodate us.' Assistant District Attorney Nicole Blumberg said she would ask Mann and other witnesses about their availability for a trial in the fall. If a fall trial happens, it would likely put Weinstein's high-profile #MeToo case back in court as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is in the final throes of his reelection bid. Bragg, a first-term Democrat who made prosecuting sex crimes cases a priority, has expressed satisfaction with Weinstein's conviction on a criminal sex act charge in the Haley assault and has been resolute in wanting the Oscar-winning studio boss retried on the Mann rape charge. 'The jury was not able to reach a conclusion as to Ms. Mann, and she deserves that,' Bragg said in June. 'This work, first and foremost, is about the survivors and that's why we're prepared to go forward.' Aidala told reporters outside court that, in his view, it's on prosecutors to resolve the rape charge — either by dropping it and clearing the way for sentencing, or promptly taking it to trial again. Weinstein sat in court in a wheelchair while wearing a blue suit and black-rimmed glasses. The 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Shakespeare in Love' producer is committed to fighting the rape charge at another trial, Aidala said, though the lawyer didn't rule out the possibility of reaching a deal with prosecutors to end the case. For now, the trial date remains unresolved, leaving Weinstein's possible Sept. 30 sentencing in limbo. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. At Weinstein's first trial in 2020, jurors convicted him of raping Mann and forcing oral sex on production assistant and producer Miriam Haley. Then an appeals court overturned those convictions and sent the case back for retrial because of legal issues involving other women's testimony. This spring, a new jury convicted him again of sexually assaulting Haley and acquitted him of doing the same to another woman who wasn't part of the first trial. But amid fractious deliberations, the majority-female jury got stuck on the charge related to Mann. Mann has testified that she also had a consensual, on-and-off relationship with the then-married Weinstein, but that she told him 'I don't want to do this' as he cornered her in the hotel room. She said he persevered with advances and demands until she 'just gave up.' Weinstein already stands convicted of sex crimes in California. He denies all of the allegations against him.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Harvey Weinstein's rape charge gets mistrial after tense jury deliberations
Harvey Weinstein's rape charge ended in a mistrial today, after the jury foreperson said he felt threatened by other jurors. Yesterday, Weinstein's 12-person jury found the disgraced mogul guilty of one criminal sexual act against former Project Runway assistant Miriam Haley, and not guilty of another against former model Kaja Sokola. He jury was not able to reach a verdict on a third rape charge, related to actor Jessica Mann, after days of tense deliberation. After four days of discussions, jurors were sent home Wednesday afternoon after reports of fighting in the jury room, per The Hollywood Reporter. That day, the jury foreperson reportedly sent a note asking to speak to Judge Curtis Farber, after which he told Farber and attorneys, 'I feel afraid inside there. I can't be inside there.' He went on to explain that he felt other jurors were pressuring him to change his decision, and said, 'Oh we will see you outside,' when he refused. When asked whether he would return to the jury room on Thursday, he said he would not. When Farber spoke to other jurors on Thursday, they said they 'don't understand why the foreperson bowed out.' Tension was apparently so high on Wednesday, however, that Weinstein himself addressed the court to ask for a mistrial. 'This is not right for me, the person who is on trial here… This is my life that's on the line, and you know what? It's not fair. It's simple. It's just not fair,' he said. Earlier this week, the foreperson had asked to speak to the judge, claiming that other jurors were considering elements from Weinstein's past that weren't submitted as evidence in this particular trial. Previously, a different juror had asked to be excused from the trial, proclaiming he had heard jurors talking about other jurors in the elevators and the process wasn't 'fair.' 'If you're a deliberating juror you have to be punched in the face in order for it to rise to the level of a real threat,' Weinstein's attorney, Arthur Aidala, said Thursday. 'It's insane in the membrane, insane on the brain.' This retrial is happening in the first place for a similar reason. Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction was overturned in 2024, after a New York court determined that the original trial had been prejudiced due to the decision to let women testify about allegations that weren't officially part of the case. Weinstein's rape conviction, which stems from an alleged incident with Mann in 2013, will now be retried on July 2. Mann is 'ready and willing and wants to retry this count,' prosecutors said. More from A.V. Club AVQ&A: What reboot actually got you excited about the franchise again? Duster gets to the fireworks factory Merciful Brad Garrett swears we'll be spared an Everybody Loves Raymond revival
Express Tribune
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Judge declares mistrial on Weinstein rape charge
The judge in the Harvey Weinstein sex crimes retrial declared a mistrial on the outstanding rape charge against the movie producer Thursday, after the jury foreperson refused to return to deliberate the case amid a jury room feud. In front of packed press and public benches in the 13th-floor New York courtroom, Judge Curtis Farber dismissed jurors who had been unable to reach a verdict on the charge that Weinstein raped Jessica Mann. "Deliberations became heated to such a degree I am obligated to declare a mistrial on the one count on which you didn't reach a verdict," Farber declared from the wood-paneled bench, wearing a robe and reading glasses. Weinstein's lawyer Arthur Aidala had forcefully argued that a crime had been committed against one of the jurors, but the judge dismissed the claim. On Wednesday, the jury convicted Weinstein for sexual assault on Miriam Haley, and acquitted the fallen movie mogul for allegedly sexually assaulting Kaja Sokola. The defense vowed to appeal. The prosecutor brushed off the defense's claim that a retrial on the charge of raping Mann would exert unfair pressure on the alleged victim. "We will proceed to trial and that is what justice would be in this case," Nicole Blumberg said. Outside court, Aidala alleged that two jurors had indicated to his team that the panel had considered the cases of rapper Sean 'P Diddy' Combs and convicted child sex abuser R Kelly in their discussions. "(If) they say, 'Well, look at R Kelly. Look what's going on across the street with P Diddy'... That's not what you can do, and that's what we just heard happen," said the sharp-suited attorney. Combs is on trial at a nearby courthouse for alleged racketeering and other crimes, and the publicity of that case has largely eclipsed Weinstein's retrial. Weinstein, 73 and wheelchair-bound by ill-health, is already in jail for a 16-year term after he was convicted in a separate California case of raping a European actress more than a decade ago. Proceedings in New York have been dogged by personal issues between jurors, two of whom have privately complained to the judge about fellow panelists. The foreman had told judge Farber he could not continue after facing threats. "One other juror made comments to the effect 'I'll meet you outside one day'," the judge said Wednesday quoting the foreman, adding there was yelling between jurors. After Weinstein's lawyer demanded a mistrial over the jury rupture, Weinstein himself addressed the court Wednesday, deploying a commanding voice reminiscent of his Hollywood heyday. 'Intimidation' "We've heard threats, violence, intimidation - this is not right for me... the person who is on trial here," he said. The Oscar-winner's conviction on the Haley charge is a vindication for Haley whose complaint in part led to the initial guilty verdict in 2020. That landmark case helped spur the 'MeToo' movement that saw an outpouring of allegations from prominent women who were abused by men. Weinstein underwent a spectacular fall from his position at the top of the world of Hollywood and show business in 2017 when allegations against him exploded into public. The movement upended the film industry, exposing systemic exploitation of young women seeking to work in entertainment, and provoking a reckoning on how to end the toxic culture. More than 80 women accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct in the wake of the global backlash against men abusing positions of power. Weinstein's original 2020 conviction, and the resulting 23-year prison term, was thrown out last year after an appeals court found irregularities in the way witnesses were presented. afp
