The jury deciding Harvey Weinstein’s fate in a criminal trial indicated that it is split on two of the most serious charges against him.
The jurors sent a note to presiding Judge James Burke on Friday during their lunch break, asking if they were allowed to be hung on two counts of predatory sexual assault and make unanimous decisions on all other charges. “We the jury ask if we can be hung on counts one and three, and unanimous on the others,” the note reportedly read.
After discussions with the prosecution and Weinstein’s lawyers, the judge told the jury of seven men and five women to continue deliberation until unanimous decisions were made on all counts. “I have your note. Any verdict you return on any counts must be unanimous, so I will ask you to resume your deliberations,” Burke said.
Weinstein’s defense team said it would accept a partial decision, while prosecutors said they would not.
The disgraced Hollywood producer, 67, is charged with five sex crimes, including rape and predatory sexual assault. The alleged crimes stem from two accusations: one from Miriam “Mimi” Haley, who says Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him in 2006, and Jessica Mann, who claims Weinstein raped her in 2013.
