JURORS in Harvey Weinstein’s sex crimes retrial are stuck in limbo as deliberations continue for the third day.
The judge was approached by the jury on Monday morning for clarification on the concept of a hung jury. This action indicated that the jurors may have been unable to reach a unanimous decision on Weinstein’s verdict.
A group consisting of seven women and five men had commenced deliberations on Thursday. They were tasked with considering two charges of criminal sex act and one charge of rape against the controversial film producer.
Weinstein, 73, has pleaded not guilty.
The jury has shown signs of multiple issues in coming to a decision on the retrial.
On Monday morning, jurors sent back-to-back notes to the judge.
In one note, the jury requested hung jury rules and for the definition of reasonable doubt.
Judge Curtis Farber emphasized that there’s no indication that the jury is hung yet.
In another note, the jury’s foreperson asked to speak to the judge “about a situation that isn’t very good.”
The juror said he was concerned about “something going on in the jury room.”
The panel member then went behind closed doors to discuss the issue with prosecutors, the defense team, and Farber.
It’s unclear what the issue in question is.
After the notes were read out, another juror updated the judge on the jury’s progress.
“I think things are going well today,” the woman told Farber.
“We’re making headway,” she said.
The juror added that the tone in the deliberation room is different from what it was on Friday, when a juror asked to be removed from the panel.
The juror, a young man, claimed that some jurors were treating a member in an “unfair and unjust way.”
However, the judge told him he had to keep deliberating.
Farber also denied the defense’s request for a mistrial over the issue.
