A New York judge has declared a mistrial on the rape charge in Harvey Weinstein’s retrial after the jury foreman said he did not want to return to deliberations.
Judge Curtis Farber’s ruling brought an abrupt end to the retrial of the disgraced former Hollywood mogul on Thursday morning amid reports of tensions – specifically shouting and threats – among jurors as they tried to reach unanimity on three charges.
The jury was unable to reach unanimity on Wednesday on the count of third degree rape against Jessica Mann in 2013 after delivering a mixed verdict on two other counts.
On that occasion Judge Farber sent the jury home to cool off after they found Weinstein, 73, guilty of criminal sexual act in the first degree against former Project Runway assistant Miriam Haley, and acquitted him of another charge involving Polish model and actress Kaja Sokola.
Asked on Thursday morning by Farber if he was willing to continue with jury deliberations, the foreman of the jury said he was not. The judge dismissed the remaining jurors and according to reports said they were disappointed and disagreed with the foreman’s account.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said it wants to retry Weinstein on the rape charge. Weinstein’s attorney Arthur Aidala said he will appeal the conviction on criminal sexual act in the first degree. Lawyers will return to court on July 2 to discuss the matters.
The charges against Haley and Mann formed the basis of the retrial after a New York appellate court overturned Weinstein’s original conviction and 23-year sentence from 2020. The charge against Sokola was a new count.
Weinstein pleaded not guilty to all three charges. He previously received a 16-year sentence following a Los Angeles rape conviction in 2023.