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Jury reaches verdict on two charges in Harvey Weinstein trial

After days of dramatic deliberations, the jury has finally reached a verdict in the sex crimes retrial of disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

Harvey Weinstein was convicted Wednesday of one of the top charges at his Manhattan sex-crimes retrial — but squabbling jurors have failed to reach a verdict on a rape allegations.

The shocking moment followed several dramatic days of deliberations marked by infighting among jurors — including hours before the partial verdict was announced when the foreman claimed to have been threatened by another member of the panel.

Harvey Weinstein appears in state court in Manhattan for his retrial. Picture: AP
Harvey Weinstein appears in state court in Manhattan for his retrial. Picture: AP
Attorneys for former film producer Harvey Weinstein depart the court. Picture: AFP)
Attorneys for former film producer Harvey Weinstein depart the court. Picture: AFP)

The judge hauled the jurors into the courtroom and had been ready to send them home for the day — when they released they’d reached a verdict on two of the three charges against the disgraced Hollywood mogul.

Jurors convicted Weinstein of criminal sex act in the first degree for allegedly assaulting Miriam “Mimi” Haley, a former TV production assistant, at his SoHo loft in 2006. He faces 25 years in prison on that count.

But they acquitted the Miramax perv of criminal sex act in the first degree tied to claims from former model Kaja Sokola, who testified that Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her at a Tribeca hotel in 2006, days shy of her 20th birthday.

Weinstein was acquited on one charge and found guilty on the other. Picture: AFP
Weinstein was acquited on one charge and found guilty on the other. Picture: AFP
Kaja Sokola speaks during a press conference outside court. Picture: AP
Kaja Sokola speaks during a press conference outside court. Picture: AP

The jurors were ordered to keep deliberating Thursday on the count of third-degree rape tied to allegations made by ex-actress Jessica Mann.

Mann sobbed on the stand while describing Weinstein raping her inside a Midtown hotel room in 2013, and discovering the sex fiend’s erection-inducing drug needle in the trash afterward.

Originally published as Jury reaches verdict on two charges in Harvey Weinstein trial

Original URL: https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/world/north-america/jury-reaches-verdict-on-two-charges-in-harvey-weinstein-trial/news-story/d134b7094a988675460d8e2c9765aacf