Mistrial Declared in Weinstein Rape Retrial After Juror Refuses to Continue
Harvey Weinstein’s retrial hit a wall on Thursday when a juror refused to re-enter the room to continue deliberating the final rape charge involving actress Jessica Mann. The jury had already convicted Weinstein of assaulting Mimi Haley and acquitted him on a separate charge, but tensions behind closed doors boiled over. According to the judge, the jurors had been yelling and fighting, with the foreperson claiming he felt unsafe. When asked if he’d go back in, he simply said, “No, I’m sorry.”
The deadlock has forced Judge Curtis Farber to declare a mistrial on that count. Despite the setback, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said his office is ready to retry Weinstein on Mann’s rape allegation. Mann herself issued a strong statement: “I have told the District Attorney I am ready, willing and able to endure this as many times as it takes for justice and accountability to be served. Today is not the end of my fight.”
Weinstein’s lawyer called the proceedings “gross juror misconduct” and said the defense would appeal. Weinstein, who remains in custody and has already been sentenced to 16 years, faces what could be a third trial in New York. For now, the split verdict leaves him guilty of sexually assaulting one woman, not guilty of another, and still fighting the charge tied to Jessica Mann.
