A New York judge on Friday declared a mistrial in the third sex crimes trial of disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. The Manhattan jury deadlocked on a key rape charge, unable to reach a unanimous decision on whether Weinstein, now 74, raped former aspiring actor Jessica Mann, now aged 40, in 2013 in a New York hotel, leaving the high-profile case in legal limbo. The all-male jury announced its verdict in a letter to Judge Curtis Farber.
The mistrial comes nearly a year after a different New York jury failed to reach a verdict on a charge tied to Mann’s allegations. The dramatic conclusion marks the second time in less than a year that no verdict was reached regarding accusations brought by an actress and a hairstylist, in a significant blow to prosecutors.
While the 74-year-old former producer remains behind bars due to separate convictions, the mistrial stalls a case of the #MeToo movement that has already spanned three separate trials.
Signs of stalemate emerged on Friday morning, just a few hours into the third day of deliberations, according to reports. The majority-male jury sent an initial note to the judge stating they could not reach any decision, prompting the judge to issue a modified deadlock instruction, known as an Allen charge, urging them to continue.
However, the panel returned a short time later with a second definitive note, stating, “We feel that no one is going to change where they stand.” Outside the courtroom, defence lawyers revealed that the final tally was heavily in their favour, with nine jurors voting for acquittal and only three supporting a guilty verdict.
Will Jury Attempt Trial of Movie Titan for Fourth Time?
The prosecution now faces a tight deadline to decide if they will attempt to try the former movie titan for a fourth time on this specific charge. Following the announcement, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg issued an official statement acknowledging the setback but defending the long legal battle.
According to The Associated Press, Bragg stated that his team was deeply disappointed by the outcome but expressed deep respect for the jury system, thanking the jurors for their time and dedication.
Bragg added that his office would evaluate its next steps before a late-June deadline, doing so in close consultation with Mann and in consideration of Weinstein’s pending sentencing from a separate trial conviction last year.
The defence team quickly claimed the deadlocked jury as a major victory in their broader strategy to dismantle the global allegations against their client. Outside the Manhattan courthouse, lead defence attorney Marc Agnifilo praised the outcome, calling it a great day for the jury system. In a statement carried by the agencies, Agnifilo framed the mistrial as a crucial building block for Weinstein’s future appeals, noting that their job is to untangle an entire legal knot strand by strand, beginning with New York and moving toward his California cases.
The #MeToo Trial
At the centre of the trial is the emotional testimony of Jessica Mann, who alleged that Weinstein raped her at a Midtown Manhattan hotel in 2013. Mann endured five days of gruelling cross-examination, telling the court that Weinstein commanded her to undress and blocked her from leaving despite her repeatedly saying no.
The defence, however, focused on the decades-long age gap and the consensual, on-again, off-again nature of their subsequent relationship, arguing that Mann remained a willing partner who used her connection to the Hollywood executive to advance her career.
Jurors later admitted to reporters that inconsistencies in the testimonies and a lack of definitive physical evidence made a conviction impossible under the standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
Juror Josh Hadar, 57, told reporters that nine people wanted to acquit because Mann seemed to forget a large number of details when questioned by the defence, which spoke heavily to her credibility. Another juror, Sarae Perez, 25, echoed the sentiment, telling media agencies that there were places where the panel simply could not trust the accuser’s word, forcing them to favour acquittal under the law.
What Lies Ahead ?
In the wake of the mistrial, Mann released a statement asserting that the courtroom deadlock did not change the reality of her experience.
She stated that the outcome does not in any way detract from the truth she told, adding that she had been forced to relive unthinkably painful moments while facing public attacks. The power of predators remains too great, she said.
Mann’s supporters emphasised that her bravery helped ignite a global reckoning against corporate and entertainment misconduct.
Weinstein’s lawyers argued that his physical and legal health continue to deteriorate behind bars. The movie titan attended the trial in a wheelchair and recently suffered severe chest pains that disrupted jury deliberations. Weinstein’s lawyers have argued that Mann made up the rape allegation after regretting that her “consensual romance” with Weinstein failed to advance her film career.
The actor faces a 16-year prison sentence following a 2022 rape conviction in California, which his legal team is currently appealing, alongside a separate conviction in New York from last summer involving accuser Miriam Haley.
