After five days of deliberation, the jurors in Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assault trial announced on Monday that they have reached a verdict. (Update: Weinstein has been found guilty on two of the five potential criminal charges. Read the full story.)
The 12-person jury, which is made up of seven men and five women, began deliberating on Tuesday morning. By Monday morning, they had spent about 22 hours deliberating.
On Friday afternoon, the jury appeared to suggest that they were deadlocked on the two most serious charges Weinstein is facing — predatory sexual assault — but possibly unanimous on the three lesser charges (criminal sex act, first-degree rape, third-degree rape).
If Weinstein is convicted of predatory sexual assault, which requires the jury to believe he committed first-degree sexual offenses against two women, he could be sentenced to life in prison. Meanwhile, a conviction of a criminal sexual act in the first degree carries a sentence of five to 25 years and rape in the third degree carries a sentence of 18 months to four years.
While Weinstein’s lawyers said on Friday they would accept a partial verdict, the lead prosecutor said she would not, and Judge James Burke told the jury to “continue your deliberations.”
The trial began on Jan. 6. Jurors heard closing arguments from the defense on Feb. 13 and from the prosecution on Feb. 14, after weeks of witness testimony.
Through the first four days of deliberation, the jury sent the judge 11 notes asking for legal explanations and to re-hear the testimony of key witnesses Miriam Haley and Annabella Sciorra. On Friday morning, they listened to Sciorra’s cross-examination, which was read out by two court stenographers.
Over the last few weeks, Weinstein has appeared to grow more visually confident in his chances of acquittal, though he has grown mum during the deliberation process, refusing to answer questions posed by journalists in the hallway of the court house.
