Harvey Weinstein has been convicted of a sex crime in Manhattan for the second time, more than five years after his initial conviction. The verdict, delivered on Wednesday, reaffirms his guilt in the eyes of the legal system, marking another chapter in the #MeToo movement's ongoing impact.
Mixed Verdict Reached
However, the jury of 12 New Yorkers delivered a mixed verdict. While convicting Weinstein on one count, they acquitted him on another charge and remained deadlocked on a third. The jury is expected to continue deliberating on the remaining charge on Thursday.
The mixed outcome suggests the jury credited the testimony of one accuser, disbelieved another, and could not reach a consensus regarding the third. Two of the witnesses, Miriam Haley and Jessica Mann, had previously testified against Weinstein in his first Manhattan trial. Kaja Sokola, the third woman, was added to the case last year and did not testify in the initial trial.
The Retrial and Its Context
Weinstein, now 73, was initially convicted in Manhattan in 2020 on charges of criminal sexual act and rape. However, the conviction was overturned by the state’s highest court, leading to this spring's retrial. The Court of Appeals, in a 4-to-3 decision, ruled that the initial trial judge should not have allowed testimony from women who accused Weinstein of sexual assaults that did not result in formal charges.
Following the ruling, the Manhattan district attorney’s office, led by Alvin L. Bragg, decided to pursue a new case against Weinstein, adding another charge of first-degree criminal sexual act in September. The current conviction represents a significant victory for Bragg, who is seeking re-election this year.
Key Details of the Retrial
The retrial commenced in mid-April and featured the testimony of nearly 30 witnesses, including the three accusers central to the prosecution's case: Miriam Haley, Kaja Sokola, and Jessica Mann. Weinstein was charged with two counts of criminal sexual act related to accusations by Haley and Sokola, who alleged he forced them into oral sex in 2006.