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Eyewitness News
2 days ago
- Eyewitness News
Harvey Weinstein found guilty of sexual assault
NEW YORK - Disgraced Hollywood titan Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of one sexual assault at his retrial Wednesday and not guilty of another, with jurors still considering a rape charge after hearing graphic testimony from his alleged victims. Weinstein was retried for offences against two women, Jessica Mann whom he is alleged to have raped, and Miriam Haley whom he was found to have sexually assaulted, alongside new charges of assaulting ex-model Kaja Sokola. He was found not guilty of those new charges at the tense proceeding in a Manhattan court on Wednesday. Delivering the verdict of the seven women and five men of the jury on the Haley count, the foreman said: "Guilty." He shook his head when he was asked for a verdict on the rape of Mann, and said "not guilty" on the Sokola count. Weinstein looked on impassively, seated in a wheelchair and wearing a dark suit as he has done throughout the six weeks of hearings. But later, the 73-year-old appeared to mutter "Not true" as he was wheeled out of court. Following the verdict, Haley told reporters that the defense's "victim shaming and deliberate attempts to distort the truth was exhausting and at times dehumanizing." "But today's verdict gives me hope, hope that there is new awareness around sexual violence and that the myth of the 'perfect victim' is fading." THREATS The verdicts came after a dramatic morning in which tensions in the jury deliberation room spilled into the open. The foreman had told the judge Curtis 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 quoting the foreman, adding there was yelling between jurors. After Weinstein's lawyer Arthur Aidala heatedly demanded a mistrial over the jury rupture, Weinstein himself addressed the court, deploying a commanding voice reminiscent of the heyday of his Hollywood power. "We've heard threats, violence, intimidation - this is not right for me... the person who is on trial here," he said. "My lawyers, the District Attorney's lawyers can fight all they want, (but) this is my life that's on the line and it's not fair." "It's time, it's time, it's time your honor, to say this trial is over," Weinstein added. The judge responded that while unusual, disputes between jurors were not unheard of, before pressing on to hear the jury's partial verdict. GENESIS OF 'METOO' The Oscar-winner's conviction is a vindication for Haley, whose complaint in part led to the initial guilty verdict in 2020, and 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 astride the world of Hollywood and show business in 2017 when the first allegations against him exploded into public view. The movement upended the film industry, exposing the 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. Throughout the trial that began on 15 April, Weinstein's sharp-suited attorney argued that the context had shifted since the first proceedings. While the "MeToo" movement was "the most important thing in society" back them, "I think people's heads are in a different place right now," Aidala said. Any sentence will be in addition to the 16-year term Winstein is already serving after being convicted in California of raping a European actress over a decade ago. Weinstein, the producer of box office hits like Pulp Fiction and Shakespeare in Love , did not take the stand during his retrial, but did acknowledge in an interview he acted "immorally." The retrial played out with far less public attention than the initial proceedings, when daily protests against sexual violence were staged outside the court. This time, the case was eclipsed by the blockbuster trial of hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs taking place at an adjacent courthouse.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Harvey Weinstein convicted of sex crime amid contentious jury deliberations
By Jack Queen and Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) -A Manhattan jury found Harvey Weinstein guilty on a sex crimes charge on Wednesday, though the jury has not yet reached a verdict on all counts the former movie mogul faces in deliberations that have been marred by infighting and threats. Weinstein, once one of the most powerful figures in Hollywood, is facing a retrial after a state appeals court last year overturned his 2020 conviction. He was accused by prosecutors in the case of raping an aspiring actress and assaulting two other women. Weinstein, 73, pleaded not guilty and has denied assaulting anyone or having non-consensual sex. The jury found Weinstein guilty on one of the three counts he faced, which stemmed from his alleged assault of former production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006. The jury found Weinstein not guilty of a charge stemming from his alleged assault of Kaja Sokola in 2002 when she was a 16-year-old aspiring actress. The jury has not yet reached a verdict on a third count, which charges him with raping aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013. They will resume deliberations on that count on Thursday. Regardless of their eventual verdict on the rape charge, Weinstein faces up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced. He has separately been sentenced to 16 years in prison following a rape conviction in California. Jurors in the New York case reached their partial verdict on the fifth day of sometimes fractious deliberations. Before the jury announced their verdict on Wednesday, Justice Curtis Farber met privately with one person on the 12-member jury referred to as Juror One. The judge then stated in open court that there had been "fighting" in the jury room. "Juror One has made it very clear that he is not going to change his position," Farber said, adding that Juror One did not tell him what his position was. "He indicated that at least one other juror made comments to the juror that 'I'll meet you outside one day,' and there's yelling and screaming." Weinstein's lawyer Arthur Aidala asked for a mistrial. As Farber was preparing to dismiss jurors for the day to give them a chance to "cool off," the jury sent a note indicating it had reached a verdict on some counts. The retrial began on April 23. Weinstein has had a litany of health problems and attended the retrial in a wheelchair. In closing arguments on June 3, the prosecution told the 12 jurors that the evidence showed how Weinstein used his power and influence to trap and abuse women. The defense countered that the accusers lied on the witness stand out of spite after their consensual sexual encounters with the Oscar-winning producer failed to result in Hollywood stardom. #METOO MILESTONE A jury had in February 2020 found Weinstein guilty of raping Mann and sexually assaulting Haley. Sokola's allegation was not part of that case. The conviction was a milestone for the #MeToo movement, which encouraged women to come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct by powerful men. But the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, threw out that conviction in April 2024. It said the trial judge erred by letting women testify that Weinstein had assaulted them, though their accusations were not the basis of the criminal charges. Though the conviction was thrown out, Weinstein has remained behind bars because of his California conviction. He is appealing that verdict. More than 100 women, including famous actresses, have accused Weinstein of misconduct. The retrial was handled by prosecutors with the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. They portrayed Weinstein as a serial predator who promised career advancement in Hollywood to women, only to then coax them into private settings where he attacked them. The defense rejected that characterization, saying Weinstein engaged in "mutually beneficial" relationships with his accusers, who ended up with auditions and other show business opportunities. Weinstein co-founded the Miramax studio, whose hit movies included "Shakespeare in Love" and "Pulp Fiction." His own eponymous film studio filed for bankruptcy in March 2018, five months after sexual misconduct accusations against him became widely publicized. Weinstein has experienced several health episodes while being held at New York City's Rikers Island jail, and in September was rushed to a hospital for emergency heart surgery.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Harvey Weinstein convicted of sex crime amid contentious jury deliberations
By Jack Queen and Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) -A Manhattan jury found Harvey Weinstein guilty on a sex crimes charge on Wednesday, though the jury has not yet reached a verdict on all counts the former movie mogul faces in deliberations that have been marred by infighting and threats. Weinstein, once one of the most powerful figures in Hollywood, is facing a retrial after a state appeals court last year overturned his 2020 conviction. He was accused by prosecutors in the case of raping an aspiring actress and assaulting two other women. Weinstein, 73, pleaded not guilty and has denied assaulting anyone or having non-consensual sex. The jury found Weinstein guilty on one of the three counts he faced, which stemmed from his alleged assault of former production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006. The jury found Weinstein not guilty of a charge stemming from his alleged assault of Kaja Sokola in 2002 when she was a 16-year-old aspiring actress. The jury has not yet reached a verdict on a third count, which charges him with raping aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013. They will resume deliberations on that count on Thursday. Regardless of their eventual verdict on the rape charge, Weinstein faces up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced. He has separately been sentenced to 16 years in prison following a rape conviction in California. Jurors in the New York case reached their partial verdict on the fifth day of sometimes fractious deliberations. Before the jury announced their verdict on Wednesday, Justice Curtis Farber met privately with one person on the 12-member jury referred to as Juror One. The judge then stated in open court that there had been "fighting" in the jury room. "Juror One has made it very clear that he is not going to change his position," Farber said, adding that Juror One did not tell him what his position was. "He indicated that at least one other juror made comments to the juror that 'I'll meet you outside one day,' and there's yelling and screaming." Weinstein's lawyer Arthur Aidala asked for a mistrial. As Farber was preparing to dismiss jurors for the day to give them a chance to "cool off," the jury sent a note indicating it had reached a verdict on some counts. The retrial began on April 23. Weinstein has had a litany of health problems and attended the retrial in a wheelchair. In closing arguments on June 3, the prosecution told the 12 jurors that the evidence showed how Weinstein used his power and influence to trap and abuse women. The defense countered that the accusers lied on the witness stand out of spite after their consensual sexual encounters with the Oscar-winning producer failed to result in Hollywood stardom. #METOO MILESTONE A jury had in February 2020 found Weinstein guilty of raping Mann and sexually assaulting Haley. Sokola's allegation was not part of that case. The conviction was a milestone for the #MeToo movement, which encouraged women to come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct by powerful men. But the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, threw out that conviction in April 2024. It said the trial judge erred by letting women testify that Weinstein had assaulted them, though their accusations were not the basis of the criminal charges. Though the conviction was thrown out, Weinstein has remained behind bars because of his California conviction. He is appealing that verdict. More than 100 women, including famous actresses, have accused Weinstein of misconduct. The retrial was handled by prosecutors with the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. They portrayed Weinstein as a serial predator who promised career advancement in Hollywood to women, only to then coax them into private settings where he attacked them. The defense rejected that characterization, saying Weinstein engaged in "mutually beneficial" relationships with his accusers, who ended up with auditions and other show business opportunities. Weinstein co-founded the Miramax studio, whose hit movies included "Shakespeare in Love" and "Pulp Fiction." His own eponymous film studio filed for bankruptcy in March 2018, five months after sexual misconduct accusations against him became widely publicized. Weinstein has experienced several health episodes while being held at New York City's Rikers Island jail, and in September was rushed to a hospital for emergency heart surgery.
