Harvey Weinstein's retrial turns ugly as jurors attack each other
What's the story
The jury deliberating on Harvey Weinstein's sex crimes retrial has hit a snag, with the foreperson complaining to Judge Curtis Farber about some jurors "attacking" and "fighting" with others.
The foreperson alleged that they were pushing each other to change their minds and discussing the former studio boss's past, reported the BBC.
He said he believed they should only consider "what happened at the time, in the moment" of the alleged crimes.
Complaint details
What the foreperson told Farber
The foreperson told Farber, "I feel like they are attacking, talking together, and fighting together. I don't like it."
He added that others were pushing people "to change their minds," when he thought they should instead answer each other's questions and "let that person make a decision."
The foreperson didn't specify what parts of Weinstein's past came up during the deliberations.
Legal proceedings
Defense calls for mistrial, prosecutor says request is 'absurd'
In response to the foreperson's complaint, defense lawyer Arthur Aidala urged Farber to declare a mistrial, calling it a "tainted," "rogue" and "runaway" jury.
He argued in court that people were considering things not brought into this trial as evidence.
However, prosecutor Matthew Colangelo disagreed, saying the jurors' concerns didn't warrant a mistrial as some aspects of Weinstein's past were allowed into evidence.
Ongoing trial
Jury began deliberating on Thursday
Weinstein, aged 73, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of committing a criminal sexual conduct and one count of rape.
The jury began deliberating on Thursday.
Farber denied the mistrial request after hearing from the jurors, reminding them to weigh only the evidence presented.
At their request, he also reviewed the definition of reasonable doubt and rules for conducting deliberations.
Background
Weinstein was convicted in New York in 2020
Weinstein was found guilty in New York in 2020 of rape and sexual assault involving two women. The verdict was considered a pivotal moment in the #MeToo movement.
However, the conviction was later overturned, resulting in a retrial with an additional accuser added last year before a new jury and judge.
Meanwhile, Weinstein continues to appeal a 2022 rape conviction in Los Angeles.