By JENNIFER PELTZ
NEW YORK (AP) — Jurors in Harvey Weinsteinn’ssex crimes retrial appear to be moving past some interpersonal tensions and focusing on one of his three accusers as deliberations stretch into a fourth day Tuesday.
At the end of Monday’s session, jurors requested to start off Tuesday with electronic copies of emails and other evidence pertaining to Jessica Mann — the accuser with arguably the most complex history with Weinstein.
During days of testimony, Mann said the Oscar-winning movie producer raped her in 2013 amid a consensual relationship that continued for years afterward. Weinstein’s lawyers emphasized that she kept seeing him, accepting invitations and sending warm messages to him. Mann said she “compartmentalized” the pain he caused her.
Weinstein, 73, has pleaded not guilty to all the charges in the case. In addition to the rape charge, he’s accused of sexually assaulting two other women, Mimi Haley and Kaja Sokola.
Weinstein didn’t testify during the current trial, but maintained through his attorneys that he had completely consensual encounters with his accusers, who wanted his help building show business careers.
Weinstein was one of the movie industry’s most powerful figures until a series of sexual misconduct allegations against him became public in 2017, fueling the #MeToo movement and eventually leading to criminal charges.
The jury is made up of seven women and five men. Their closed-door discussions began Thursday and apparently have been fractious at times.
One juror asked Friday to be excused because he felt one member of the group was being treated unfairly. Monday began with two jurors giving contrasting takes on the atmosphere in the deliberation room.
First, the foreperson complained to the judge, prosecutors and defense lawyers that some jurors were “pushing” others to change their minds, talking about Weinstein’s past and going beyond the charges.
The foreperson didn’t specify what was said. Trial evidence has included some testimony about allegations outside the scope of the current charges, such as mentions of the groundswell of claims against the ex-studio boss in 2017.
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Another juror soon asked to speak to the court. In her estimation, things were “going well” and jurors were ”making headway.” By the end of Monday, the jury as a whole said in a note that it was “making good progress.”
Weinstein originally was convicted in New York in 2020 of raping Mann and forcing oral sex on Haley. Sokola’s allegation was added last year, after New York state’s highest court overturned the 2020 conviction and sent the case back for retrial.
Meanwhile, Weinstein is appealing a 2022 rape conviction in Los Angeles.
The Associated Press generally does not identify people without their permission if they say they have been sexually assaulted. Sokola, Mann and Haley have agreed to be named.
