Disgraced mogul convicted on one charge but acquitted on second as jury drama unfolds with juror threatening to quit over ‘unfair’ treatment by fellow panel members
Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of sexually assaulting his former assistant Miriam Haley but acquitted of raping aspiring actress Kaja Sokola in a dramatic split verdict that saw extraordinary jury room drama spill into the courtroom.
The 73-year-old disgraced Hollywood mogul sat impassive as the majority-female jury delivered their verdict Wednesday, finding him guilty of criminal sexual act in the first degree against former Project Runway production assistant Haley, who testified he forced oral sex on her at his Manhattan apartment in 2006.
But in a stunning blow to prosecutors, the same jury acquitted Weinstein of a second charge of sexually assaulting Sokola, who claimed he forcibly performed oral sex on her in a Manhattan hotel that same year.
The partial verdict came after weeks of emotional testimony and days of apparent turmoil in the jury room – with one juror dramatically threatening to quit over what he called “unfair” treatment of fellow panel members.
Jury room chaos revealed
In an extraordinary courtroom scene just days before the verdict, a male juror told Judge Curtis Farber that some jurors were treating others “unfairly” and asked to be dismissed from the case.
I just don’t think it’s fair and just,” the juror told the judge, referring to things other jurors were saying and doing behind another juror’s back. “There is a bit of a shunning happening.”
The juror’s chilling threat to abandon deliberations exposed deep divisions within the panel tasked with deciding Weinstein’s fate. Judge Farber refused to dismiss him, saying there was no legal basis after the juror confirmed no one was pressuring him to change his view.
Third charge deadlocked
The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on a third count involving Jessica Mann, who alleged Weinstein raped her in a Manhattan hotel in 2013, and were ordered to continue deliberations on that charge.
The mixed verdict comes in Weinstein’s high-stakes retrial after New York’s highest court sensationally overturned his 2020 conviction last year, ordering a new trial in the landmark #MeToo case.
‘Seriously contemplating’ testifying
In a dramatic twist during the trial, Weinstein’s attorney Arthur Aidala revealed the fallen mogul was “seriously contemplating” taking the stand in his own defense – something he had never done in previous trials.
There is a part of him that is seriously contemplating in a ‘he-said, she-said’ case whether human beings feel obligated to hear the other side of the story,” Aidala told reporters outside court.
Ultimately, Weinstein chose not to testify, maintaining his strategy of remaining silent that he employed in both his 2020 New York trial and 2022 California conviction.
Three women testify
The retrial saw three women take the stand to deliver harrowing accounts of alleged sexual assaults by the former Hollywood powerhouse:
Miriam Haley – The former Project Runway production assistant testified Weinstein forced oral sex on her at his Manhattan apartment in 2006. The jury believed her account, convicting Weinstein of criminal sexual act.
Kaja Sokola – The former model alleged Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her in a Manhattan hotel in 2006 when she was a teenager. The jury acquitted him on this charge.
Jessica Mann – The aspiring actress claimed Weinstein raped her in 2013 at a Manhattan hotel. The jury deadlocked on this count.
Already serving 16 years
The verdict adds to Weinstein’s legal woes as he’s already serving a 16-year prison sentence following his 2022 rape conviction in Los Angeles – a conviction he’s also appealing.
That California case saw him found guilty of rape, forced oral copulation and sexual misconduct against an Italian model who testified he raped her in a hotel bathroom during the 2013 Los Angeles Italian Film Festival.
#MeToo milestone
The mixed verdict represents another chapter in the saga that ignited the global #MeToo movement. More than 100 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct dating back decades, though he has consistently denied all allegations of non-consensual sex.
The original 2020 New York conviction was hailed as a watershed moment for the movement, with Weinstein sentenced to 23 years in prison. But that victory was short-lived when New York’s Court of Appeals overturned it in a controversial 4-3 decision in April 2024.
‘Institutional betrayal’
The appeals court ruled the trial judge had made critical errors by allowing women to testify about assaults that weren’t part of the charges – a decision that actress Ashley Judd branded “an act of institutional betrayal.
The dissenting judge, Madeline Singas, accused the majority of “perpetuating outdated notions of sexual violence” and making it “significantly more difficult” to hold defendants accountable for sexual assault.
Prosecutors vow justice
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office had portrayed Weinstein as a serial predator who used his Hollywood influence to lure women into private meetings before assaulting them.
Harvey Weinstein will never be able to rape another woman. He will spend the rest of his life behind bars where he belongs,” said California Governor Gavin Newsom’s wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, who testified in the Los Angeles trial.
Defense claims victory
Despite the guilty verdict on one count, Weinstein’s legal team claimed partial victory with the acquittal and hung jury.
Harvey is obviously disappointed, however hopefully because with this particular accuser there are good grounds to appeal based on time and location of alleged events,” said Weinstein spokesperson Juda Engelmayer.
Pattern of appeals
The case highlights the challenges of prosecuting high-profile sexual assault cases, with Weinstein joining Bill Cosby among celebrities who’ve had convictions overturned on appeal.
Cosby’s 2018 conviction was thrown out three years later by Pennsylvania’s highest court, which ruled prosecutors had violated an agreement not to charge him.
What happens next
Weinstein faces up to 25 years in prison for the criminal sexual act conviction – time that would be served consecutively to his 16-year California sentence.
The jury will return to continue deliberating on the deadlocked count involving Jessica Mann, with Judge Farber likely to give them an Allen charge encouraging them to reach a unanimous verdict.
For now, the once-untouchable Hollywood mogul who produced Oscar winners like “Shakespeare in Love” and “Pulp Fiction” remains behind bars at Rikers Island, his empire in ruins and his legacy forever tarnished.
As one prosecutor put it during closing arguments: “They came to be heard. They sacrificed their dignity, their privacy and their peace for the prospect that their voices would be enough for justice.”
Today, at least one of those voices was heard.
Image credit:
Harvey Weinstein at the 2011 Time 100 gala by David Shankbone, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
