Weinstein Jury Appears Deadlocked on Most Serious Counts

The jury in the Harvey Weinstein trial appears to be deadlocked on the two most serious charges against the producer, which carry the potential of life in prison.

After lunch on Friday, the jurors sent a note to the judge asking what to do if they could not reach a verdict on two counts of predatory sexual assault, but were unanimous on the other charges.

Justice James Burke conferred for several minutes with the attorneys before instructing the jury to continue to deliberate.

Weinstein is accused of sexually assaulting Miriam Haley in 2006 and raping Jessica Mann in 2013. The two predatory sexual assault counts also include the allegation that he raped Annabella Sciorra in the early 1990s. Earlier on Friday, the jury heard a significant portion of Sciorra’s testimony read back to them.

“We the jury request to understand if we can be hung on 1 and/or 3 and unanimous on the other charges,” the jury asked.

Count 1 — the first predatory sexual assault count — contains the allegation that Weinstein assaulted both Haley and Sciorra. Count 3 is the second count of predatory sexual assault, and contains the allegations of Mann and Sciorra. Count 2 is a charge of criminal sexual act, and pertains only to Haley. Counts 4 and 5 are first- and third-degree rape, and pertain only to Mann.

The jurors have been deliberating since Tuesday morning.

Assistant D.A. Joan Illuzzi asked that the jury be instructed to keep deliberating on Counts 1 and 3.

Burke did not directly answer the jury’s question, but instead instructed them to keep trying to agree.

“If you do not reach a unanimous agreement on a particular count, you cannot return a verdict at that count,” he said. “Thank you for your hard work. Please go resume your deliberations.”

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