Latest news with #juror
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Judge denies Harvey Weinstein's bid for mistrial after juror complains
Harvey Weinstein appears for his retrial at a Manhattan court, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith, Pool) NEW YORK — A juror in Harvey Weinstein's sex crimes trial asked to be removed from the case Friday because he felt his fellow jurors were treating a member of their panel in an 'unfair and unjust' way, but the judge told him he had to keep deliberating. Judge Curtis Farber later denied a defense request for a mistrial, saying he believed the juror was simply expressing discomfort in the deliberation process, noting that he's the youngest on the 12-person panel. 'This is nothing other than normal tensions during heated deliberations,' Farber told the lawyers after the juror rejoined his peers. 'Perhaps his youth makes him uncomfortable with conflict.' The second day of deliberations ended Friday without a verdict. Jurors are expected back in court Monday. Jurors reheard testimony from Weinstein's three accusers. They also reviewed other evidence, including medical records and emails. Twice on Friday, though, a juror requested to address the court without the other jurors present. The juror said he wanted to be excused from the trial because he was uncomfortable with how some jurors were acting toward another juror. But Farber denied the request, saying there were no more alternate jurors to replace him and, in any case, his concerns did not warrant being dismissed. The juror insisted, calling the treatment 'unfair and unjust' even as he described the tension as 'playground stuff' with jurors shunning another juror and talking behind their back. Weinstein's lawyer Arthur Aidala argued that the jury should be told to stop deliberating while the court found out more about the concerns. He criticized the judge's questions to the concerned juror as 'anemic at best.' 'You didn't ask him one follow-up question,' Aidala said. Manhattan prosecutor Nicole Blumberg said the judge acted appropriately by reminding jurors about the expectations for them -- including that they not speak to anyone about the case unless all members of the jury are deliberating. The issue, she noted, does not appear to be hindering the jury's work, as the panel requested a readout of other testimony even after he raised concerns. Sexual misconduct allegations against Weinstein propelled the .MeToo movement in 2017. The jury of seven women and five men is considering two counts of criminal sex act and one count of rape against the 73-year-old Oscar-winning movie producer, with the criminal sex act charges the higher-degree felonies. Weinstein has pleaded not guilty. Weinstein was convicted of sex crimes in New York and California, but the New York conviction was overturned last year, leading to the retrial before a new jury and a different judge. Jurors heard more than five weeks of testimony, including lengthy testimony from three accusers. Article by Philip Marcelo. Resources for sexual assault survivors in Canada If you or someone you know is struggling with sexual assault or trauma, the following resources are available to support people in crisis:
Reuters
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Reuters
'I just don't think it's fair': Weinstein juror threatens to quit over other jurors' actions
NEW YORK, June 6 (Reuters) - The judge overseeing former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape and sexual assault trial refused on Friday to dismiss a juror who said some jurors were treating others on the 12-person panel unfairly. "I just don't think it's fair and just," the juror told New York Supreme Court Justice Curtis Farber in court, referring to things other jurors were saying and doing behind another juror's back. "There is a bit of a shunning happening," the juror said. The juror asked to be dismissed but Farber said there was no legal basis to do so after the juror confirmed that no one on the jury panel was pressuring him to change his view of the case. "If any other juror feels they need to talk to me, they can," the judge said. Weinstein's lawyers said they would make a proposal on how to address the matter later on Friday. Friday was the second day of jury deliberations. No other jurors were present during the exchange. Farber dismissed alternates from the jury on Thursday. Weinstein, 73, was convicted of rape by a Manhattan jury in February 2020, but the New York Court of Appeals threw out the conviction and ordered a new trial, citing errors by the trial judge. Prosecutors say the Academy Award-winning producer raped aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013 and assaulted two other women in 2006 and 2002. Weinstein, who has denied ever having non-consensual sex or assaulting anyone, has pleaded not guilty. He faces up to 25 years in prison for two counts of criminal sexual acts and up to four years for one count of rape. Weinstein is already serving a 16-year prison sentence after being found guilty in December 2022 of rape in a separate California case. Prosecutors with the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg have 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. Weinstein's defense lawyers have said his encounters with the women were consensual and accused them of lying about being raped after failing to make it big in Hollywood by sleeping with him.
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Major twist as judge acts after shock tip-off about one of the jurors in the Erin Patterson trial
The Erin Patterson trial has suffered the surprise loss of a juror mid-trial after the judge was given new information about him. Justice Christopher Beale discharged a male juror on Thursday after the judge was alerted that the man had been discussing the trial outside of court. Bringing the jury in late, Justice Beale explained why the juror would no longer be seated alongside them for the duration of the trial. 'I'm not going to ask you questions, I just want to give you some information,' he said. 'Under Section 43 of the Juries Act I have the power to discharge a juror if it appears to me a juror should not continue to act as a juror.' The jury was told the juror would not be coming back. 'A few moments ago, I discharged juror 84, I did so because, and as I explained to him, I received information that he had been discussing the case with family and friends, contrary to my instructions,' Justice Beale said. He told the jury the information he received about the juror seemed 'credible' and therefore had no choice but to let him go. 'I was of the view that it was, at least, a reasonable possibility that the information I received was credible,' he said. Justice Beale reminded the jury to refrain from talking about the trial to anyone other than other jurors. 'I want to remind you of my directions that you should only discuss the case with your fellow jurors in the privacy of the jury room (and) not discuss it with anyone else, it's vital to the administration of justice,' he said. Justice Beale described the incident as an 'unhappy note' and urged the jurors to continue to perform their jobs diligently. 'I hasten to add that I have not made a positive finding that juror number 84 discussed the case with family and friends but neither could I dismiss the possibility that he had. 'As I said, I was of the view that it was a reasonable possibility that he had breached my instructions,' he said. 'I've directed him not to contact any of you, directly or indirectly, and I likewise give you the similar direction. 'You are not to contact him directly or indirectly whilst this trial is continuing, alright, on that unhappy note we're now ready to resume the trial.' JURIES ACT 2000 - SECTION 43 A judge may, during a trial, discharge a juror without discharging the whole jury if: (a) it appears to the judge that the juror is not impartial; or (b) the juror becomes incapable of continuing to act as a juror; or (c) the juror becomes ill; or (d) it appears to the judge that, for any other reason, the juror should not continue to act as a juror. The original 15-person jury had been selected from a pool of 120 people from in and around the Gippsland area where the trial is taking place. While the loss of the juror comes as a major inconvenience, the trial needs just 12 jurors to make it until the end. The remaining jurors will then be balloted off. When the trial recommenced, the jury heard from child protection practitioner Katrina Cripps. Ms Cripps told the jury she believed Patterson had eaten 'half' of her portion of beef Wellington during the fateful lunch. Ms Cripps had spoken to Patterson in the days after the lunch. 'I don't believe she ate it all,' Ms Cripps said. Ms Cripps said Patterson told her the lunch guests chose their plates and she took the last one. Patterson also indicated she put two plates aside for her children. Patterson has pleaded not guilty to murdering her estranged husband Simon Patterson's parents Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson. They died after consuming death cap mushrooms served in a beef Wellington during lunch at her Leongatha home in the state's east. Pastor Ian Wilkinson was the only guest to survive the toxic lunch. He appeared in court on Thursday seated at the front of the court room after concluding his own evidence in the opening days of the trial. Ms Cripps said she visited the children and Patterson's estranged husband Simon at the Monash Children's Hospital on August 2. The jury heard Ms Cripps said she spoke to Patterson at 2.55pm - which was the first time she had ever talked to her. She said Patterson told her she had the children during the week and Simon had them on weekends. Patterson told Ms Cripps the children talked about not wanting to stay at their dad's on weekends anymore because he was 'sleeping a lot'. Patterson said Simon had become 'mean and nasty' after an issue with child support was raised, the jury heard. Ms Cripps said Patterson told her Simon had been 'controlling and emotionally abusive', which caused her to doubt her ability as a mother and dented her self-esteem. The jury also heard from Doctor Dimitri Gerostamoulos, head of forensic science at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine and the state's chief toxicologist. Dr Gerostamoulos told the court just three table spoons of death cap mushrooms would be enough to kill an adult weighing 70kgs. The jury heard the devastating effects death caps had on the body once consumed. Dr Gerostamoulos said poisoning victims would experience vomiting, diarrhoea and progressively get worse without treatment. He told the court that the body was unable to process the toxin as it would a normal drug. Dr Gerostamoulos told the jury no trace of the toxin had been found in Patterson or her children. Nor was it found in Heather Wilkinson or Gail Patterson. However, it was found in Don and Ian Wilkinson. The jury was shown images of two beef Wellington's retrieved from Patterson's home after the lunch. An analysis of the contents found mushroom paste within the paste-sized Wellingtons found traces of beta-amanitin - the calling card of death cap mushrooms. Several samples from the dehydrator tested positive for both alpha and beta amanitin. The trial continues.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- BBC News
Ammanford school stabbing juror in court over trial collapse
A juror accused of causing the collapse of a trial into a triple school stabbing has appeared in month, a teenage girl was sentenced to 15 years for the attempted murder of two teachers and a pupil at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, Carmarthenshire, following a Elias, 45, of Waunceirch, Neath Port Talbot, has been charged with refusing to answer a question relating to the qualification to serve on a appeared at Swansea Magistrates' Court on Wednesday and he was released on unconditional bail ahead of his next hearing on 2 June at Cardiff Magistrates' Court. Teachers Fiona Elias, Liz Hopkin and a pupil, who cannot be named because of their age, were stabbed by the girl, who was 13 at the time, during break time at the school in April first attempted murder trial collapsed in October because of what the judge described as a "great irregularity in the jury".The charge on Mr Elias comes under the Juries Act 1974, which sets out requirements as to who is eligible for jury service in Wales and England, and permits court officers to put questions to potential jurors to establish whether or not they are qualified to form part of a jury.
News.com.au
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs' trial: The jury of eight men and four women who will decide rapper's fate revealed
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' federal trial began Monday after a jury of eight men and four women was seated. The 12-person jury and six alternates was only finalised minutes before opening statements began in the disgraced music mogul's sex crimes case. Diddy's legal team was concerned about jurors getting cold feet over the weekend, and Judge Arun Subramanian agreed. Jurors, who range in age from 24 to 74, were questioned during the week long voir dire process about Mike Myers, beliefs regarding infidelity and their taste in music as the defence and prosecution narrowed down the potential pool to 12. Juror No. 2 is a massage therapist and actor from Manhattan. During the voir dire, the judge asked if he recognised any names from a 'people and places' list. The juror noted 'Michael B. Jordan' stood out as a recognised actor. In addition, Juror No. 2 had some familiarity with domestic violence and indicated his sister was a victim of assault, but that his experience wouldn't interfere with his ability to be impartial. Juror No. 5, an investment analyst from Manhattan County, learned about the case from news media reporting and admitted to viewing the Cassie Ventura hotel assault video footage. Another juror seated, Juror No. 25, is a 61-year-old scientist and freelance graphic designer who was looking forward to getting a break from his 'serious work.' Juror No. 25 knew about Diddy as a 'business person' and was aware of 'violent behaviour.' He admitted to seeing the hallway video at the gym but had not formed an opinion about what he had seen. Juror No. 28, a 30-year-old woman from the Bronx who works as a deli clerk, noted that she gets news by word of mouth and doesn't read magazines or papers. She was aware that Diddy was arrested but didn't know why until recently and would be able to follow instructions. Multiple Bronx residents were picked to sit on the jury. Juror No. 58, a 41-year-old man who works as the head account clerk in corrections, said he enjoys '90s hip-hop and sports. Juror No. 184, a 39-year-old male, lives with his brother and is employed as a social worker program supervisor. The youngest juror selected at 24 years old, Juror No. 321, works in coffee services and prefers reading news through social media. Juror No. 55 was once ticketed for an open container and accidentally marked the wrong box indicating she knew about the allegations. When Subramanian heard about her prior ticket, he joked, 'Well, shame on you.' Juror No. 75 retired from J.P. Morgan and lives in Westchester. He watches both Fox and CNN and prefers the Discovery Channel. A 43-year-old female who was also from Westchester was seated as Juror No. 160. Her husband is a software developer, while she works as a physician's assistant. Juror No. 116 said he would have a difficult time remaining impartial when looking at violence. While he previously viewed the Ventura hotel footage, he mentioned having a difficult time watching videos of skateboarders falling but thinks he can handle the videos. Nothing could prevent Juror No. 217 from being impartial. The 74-year-old female from Manhattan likes classical music and art shows. She lives alone and used to be a treatment co-ordinator. Both Juror No. 201, a 67-year-old man, and Juror No. 230, a 57-year-old man, have children and reside in Westchester County. Juror No. 234, a 34-year-old man who lives with his parents and sister in Manhattan, doesn't watch the news and prefers reading video game magazines. Juror No. 247 loves to read and surf. The 40-year-old man from New York County is a physician scientist and has a master's degree and bachelor's degree in chemistry. Juror 292 mentioned she knew one location noted in the voir dire. The final juror selected in Diddy's sex crimes case was Juror No. 330, a 37-year-old man from New York County who works with the U.S. State Department and prefers watching 'Andor' with his girlfriend, who works in the medical field. For the voir dire process, the jurors were given a list of people and places and asked to note if they recognised any. Comedian Mike Myers, Diddy's children – Justin and Christian Combs – Aubrey O'Day, actress Lauren London, actor Michael B. Jordan, musician Kid Cudi, Kanye West, singer Michelle Williams, Dawn Richards and Diddy's ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, were among the names recognised by some of the potential jurors. While it's unclear why some of the celebrities made this list, USA Today reported there is a scene in Myers' 'Austin Powers' that jokes about the disgraced rapper. Diddy has been charged with racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution in a federal indictment unsealed Sept. 17. He has maintained his innocence. If found guilty, he faces a minimum of 15 years behind bars or a maximum sentence of life in prison.
