New York — NEW YORK (AP) — Two jurors voted in June to convict Harvey Weinstein The former movie mogul’s lawyers said in a recent public lawsuit that those accused of sexual assault said they regretted the decision and only did so because others on the panel intimidated them.
Weinstein’s lawyers are seeking to overturn his conviction for a first-degree criminal sexual act, saying in papers unsealed Thursday that the guilty verdict was marred by “threats, intimidation and outside bias,” and that the judge failed to handle it properly at the time.
In affidavits included in the file, two jurors said they felt overwhelmed and intimidated by jurors who wanted to convict Weinstein on that charge, which accused him of forcing Weinstein to perform oral sex on television and a film production assistant and producer. Miriam Haley In 2006.
One juror said she was yelled at in the jury room and told: “We have to get rid of you.” The other juror said that anyone who doubted Weinstein’s guilt was questioned by the other jurors, and that if he had been able to vote by secret ballot, “I would have returned a not guilty verdict on all three counts.”
“I regret the verdict,” that juror said. “If it had not been for the intimidation from the other jurors, I believe the jury would have hung on Miriam Healy’s charge.”
Weinstein, 73, was acquitted of a second criminal sexual act charge involving a different woman, a Polish psychotherapist and a former model. Kaja Sokola. The judge declared a mistrial on the final count, alleging that Weinstein raped former actress Jessica Mann, after the jury foreman refused to deliberate further.
This was the second time that the Oscar-winning producer was tried on some charges. His conviction in 2020, a watershed moment for # The “Me Too” movement.He was I turned over last year. Now his defense team, led by attorney Arthur Aidala, is fighting to overturn his conviction and avoid another retrial on the unresolved charge.
Judge Curtis Farber gave Manhattan prosecutors until November 10 to conduct their own investigation and file a written response before he rules on December 22. This means that the decision and possible retrial or sentencing will not come until after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is re-elected on November 4.
In affidavits, which redacted jurors’ names and identification numbers, both jurors said they feared for their safety and the safety of the jury foreman. When the foreman asked for civility, another juror stood up to him, pointed his finger and told him: “You don’t know me. I’ll catch you outside,” they said.
One juror said deliberations were poisoned by some jurors’ belief that Weinstein or his lawyers had paid off a panelist. This claim, which was not supported by any evidence, led to a shift The jury consists of seven women and five men “From a 6-6 spit to a surprise unanimous verdict,” the juror said.
Some of what was said in the testimonies reflected the intensity that seeped into public opinion during the deliberations. As jurors weighed charges for five days, one juror asked To be excused Because he felt that another was being treated unfairly.
Later, Lt. Col He complained that the other jurors were pushing people to change their mind and that one juror yelled at him for sticking to his mind and suggested he “see me outside.”
After the jury returned a verdict on two of the three counts, Farber asked the jury foreman if he was willing to deliberate further. The man said no, resulting in a mistrial for rape.
After the trial, two jurors disputed the foreman’s account. One of them said no one mistreated him. The other said the deliberations were controversial, but respectful.
The transcripts show that when jurors expressed concerns, Farber was strict about respecting the sanctity of deliberations and warned them not to discuss the content or tenor of jury room discussions. In their statements, the jurors said they did not feel the judge was willing to listen to their concerns.
When the jurors were asked whether they agreed with the guilty verdict, one juror indicated in her affidavit that she paused “to try to indicate my discomfort with the verdict.” Afterward, when Farber spoke to jurors, she said she told him “the deliberations were unprofessional.”
Weinstein denies all charges against him. Holds a conviction for first-degree criminal sexual act Potential for up to 25 years in prison, while an unsolved third-degree rape charge is punishable by up to four years in prison — less than he has already served.
He’s been behind bars ever since Initial conviction In 2020, he was also later sentenced to prison in a separate case California caseAnd he is Attractive.