Jurors at the Harvey Weinstein trial in Los Angeles will resume their deliberations on Monday, after failing to reach a verdict for more than eight days.
They started trading on December 2nd and have since discussed the issue for 37 hours in total. Weinstein, 70, faces seven counts of rape and sexual assault against four alleged victims. If convicted, he could face up to 60 years to life in prison, on top of the 23 years he is already serving upon his conviction in New York.
On Wednesday, jurors requested that some of the testimony be returned to them, noting that they were still examining the witnesses’ allegations. A court reporter is expected to read that testimony on Monday, as the courtroom will be closed Thursday and Friday.
During their deliberations, the jury asked one question and twice also requested a re-read of the testimony.
Judge Lisa B. Lynch chose not to disclose the jury’s questions to the media. With so little information available, it is impossible to decipher if the jury was focused on any particular thing, whether they were stuck facing a particular witness, or if they were simply taking their time through the process.
“The court is aware of inquiries from the press regarding the contents of the jury’s questions sent to the court,” the judge said in a transcript on Wednesday. The contents of the correspondence reveal the deliberative process of the jury currently in deliberation. As such, the Court believes that it would be inappropriate to disclose to the press the contents of the communications prior to the jury’s discharge as this would affect the deliberative operations of the jury.”
The jury of 12 consisted of three women and nine men. They must come to a unanimous decision on each of the seven counts.
In addition to Jane Doe’s four accusers, the prosecution called four other witnesses of “past misdeeds” to try to establish a pattern of misconduct. The trial has now lasted more than two months, including jury selection.
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