Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of sexual assault in New York after a retrial. The jury, consisting of seven female and five male members, spent five days deliberating on the charges against him, which included testimonies from three women: Miriam Haley, Jessica Mann, and Kaja Sokola. While Weinstein was convicted of assaulting Haley, the jury acquitted him of charges related to Sokola and has not yet reached a consensus regarding Mann's allegations. This verdict adds to a 16-year sentence for separate sex crimes in Los Angeles.
The retrial stemmed from an overturned conviction in New York last year, deemed unfair by an appeals court due to the inclusion of testimony from women not directly involved in the case. Weinstein, now 73 and in poor health, attended the trial in a wheelchair after receiving treatment at Bellevue Hospital. His representatives have claimed that jurors's preconceived biases affected the deliberation process, leading to the assertion of potential appellate issues.
Throughout the trial, the testimonies presented by the accusers highlighted their experiences with Weinstein, who was known to have abused his power within the entertainment industry. His defense argued that their interactions were consensual, supported by evidence of friendly communications exchanged after the alleged incidents.
Facing accusations from over 100 women, Weinstein's past has been scrutinized in the context of the #MeToo movement, which has rallied against sexual abuse by powerful figures. Prior to the emergence of these allegations, Weinstein co-founded the successful Miramax film studio and was a dominant force in Hollywood.
As this story unfolds, additional details will be provided as they become available.
