#MeToo Trial of Hollywood fame Harvey Weinstein: Jury deadlocked on most serious sexual assault charges

The jury in Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assault trial in New York said on Friday they were deadlocked on the most serious criminal charges and suggested they were unanimous on the others leveled against the former Hollywood mogul.

Some legal experts said the jury’s questions made it appear the seven men and five women were nearing a guilty verdict on at least one of the five counts against the producer of movies including “The English Patient” and “Shakespeare in Love”.

A source within Weinstein’s defence team said speculation about the verdict would be “premature and a mistake”.

The jurors asked Justice James Burke on Friday afternoon whether they could be hung on the two counts of predatory sexual assault and unanimous on the other three, which include first-degree rape.

Conviction on the predatory assault charges, which carry a potential life sentence, would indicate that Weinstein is a repeat sexual offender. Two of the other charges carry prison terms of up to 25 years, while the third is up to 4 years.

Three legal experts, including Gerald Lefcourt, a criminal defence attorney who is not involved in the case, told Reuters that from their question to the judge it seemed the jurors were willing to convict Weinstein on the less serious counts.

Burke told them it is common for juries to have difficulty reaching a unanimous verdict, but that most are eventually able to do so.

“Please resume your deliberations,” he said.

The jury later broke for the weekend and is expected to continue deliberating on Monday.

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