We may have a hung jury in the case against disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. The 12-member jury, which has been deliberating since Tuesday, has asked Judge James Burke if they can be hung on the first and third charges of predatory sexual assault and unanimous on the other three charges.
To convict him of predatory sexual assault, the jury must be convinced that Weinstein committed a first-degree sexual offense against Annabella Sciorra and either Miriam Haley or Jessica Mann, or both.
The other three charges are lesser charges. One, the second count, is a first-degree criminal sexual act charge stemming from the testimony of Haley. The other two charges are for first or third-degree rape charges based on the testimony of Jessica Mann. (Hollywood Reporter)
"As I told you in my initial instructions, any verdict you return on any count, whether guilty or not guilty, must be unanimous," Judge Burke told the jury. "It is not uncommon for a jury to have difficulty initially to reach a unanimous verdict."
Weinstein is accused of sexually assaulting former "Sopranos" actress Annabella Sciorra. She claims that he raped her after a dinner in the early 1990s. Several other actresses have come forward claiming that Weinstein has harassed or intimidated them, including, but not limited to Gwyneth Paltrow, Lupita N'yongo, and Asia Argento.
The accusations against Weinstein prompted what's now known as the "Me Too" movement, a campaign that has emboldened women to expose sexual harassment and sexual assault.
Weinstein defense attorney Donna Rotunno caused outrage recently after she gave a controversial response to a reporter who asked if she'd ever been the victim of sexual assault.
“No, I’ve always made choices from college-age on where I never drank too much, I never went home with someone I didn’t know, I just never put myself in any vulnerable circumstance,” she said. “Ever.”
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