After days of heated deliberations, a New York jury delivered a partial verdict in the new sexual assault trial against Harvey Weinstein. The film producer, previously convicted for similar offenses, was found guilty of first-degree sexual abuse against Miriam Haley. However, he was acquitted of the charge brought by Kaja Sokola, while no verdict was reached on the third-degree rape charge involving Jessica Mann.
The trial, which began on April 23, focused on the accusations of three women: Haley, Mann, and Sokola. Haley accused the 73-year-old of assaulting her in July 2006 in her apartment, while Sokola spoke of a similar assault that occurred the same year in a Manhattan hotel. Mann also testified that she had been raped in 2013 in a New York City hotel.
Deliberations, which started on June 5, were marked by tension within the jury, composed of seven women and five men. The jury foreperson informed the judge that he had received threatening comments from another juror during discussions about Jessica Mann’s case. Reportedly, one of them said, “See you outside,” as a form of intimidation. The incident prompted the defense to request a mistrial and to push for the the filing of a police report.
Weinstein himself protested vehemently during one hearing, claiming he was not receiving a fair trial and felt unsafe. His attorney, Arthur Aidala, called the jury’s conduct disgraceful, while the judge downplayed the matter, likening it to “schoolyard behavior.”
Weinstein’s spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, called the fragmented verdict a victory, emphasizing that the producer was acquitted of the most serious charge — that brought by Sokola. He also noted that Weinstein has already served over five years for similar charges.
Sokola said she was nonetheless satisfied with the verdict, emphasizing that, despite the acquittal on her specific charge, the outcome was what truly mattered. Her attorney, Lindsay Goldbrum, explained how difficult it is to prove a crime that occurred nearly twenty years ago, but praised Sokola for having the strength to stay true to her truth and for helping to expose a man once thought untouchable.
Haley also described the partial conviction as encouraging, stating that it brings hope and helps dismantle the myth of the “perfect victim.” Her lawyer, Gloria Allred, called Haley “the heroine of this case,” noting that her testimony was decisive in securing two convictions, including one from the first trial.
Mann, at the center of the only unresolved charge, stated in a declaration that she would never lie about something so traumatic, and that coming forward had cost her everything from her privacy to her personal safety. She clarified that she “laid bare her trauma” only in order to stand up for the truth.
The new trial followed the annulment of the 2020 conviction by the New York State Court of Appeals in April 2024. The court ruled that, in the original case, the judge had allowed prosecutors to bring in testimony from alleged victims who were not part of the formal charges, thus compromising the defendant’s right to a fair trial.
The deliberations, which were supposed to continue on Thursday to reach a decision on the remaining charge involving Mann, were instead halted by the judge due to a mistrial. While the two other verdicts remain valid, a new hearing will need to be held in the future to address this outstanding charge.
