2LT International News

NEW YORK CITY, New York: Two jurors who helped convict former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault in June now say they regret their decision. They claim they only voted to convict because other jurors bullied and pressured them, according to new court documents made public this week.

Weinstein’s lawyers are asking the judge to overturn his conviction for first-degree criminal sexual act. They argue that the verdict was the result of “threats, intimidation, and bias,” and that the judge did not adequately address these problems during the trial.

In sworn statements, the two jurors said they were overwhelmed and scared during jury deliberations. The case involved accusations that Weinstein forced oral sex on TV and film production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006.

One juror said other members of the panel yelled at her and told her, “We have to get rid of you.” The other said that jurors who doubted Weinstein’s guilt were aggressively questioned. “If I could have voted by secret ballot,” that juror said, “I would have returned a not guilty verdict on all three charges.”

“I regret the verdict,” the juror added. “Without the intimidation, I believe the jury would have hung on the Haley charge.”

Weinstein, 73, was acquitted of a second sexual assault charge involving Polish psychotherapist and former model Kaja Sokola. The judge declared a mistrial on a third charge — the alleged rape of former actor Jessica Mann — after the jury foreperson refused to deliberate further.

This was Weinstein’s second trial on similar charges. His first conviction in 2020, a landmark moment in the #MeToo movement, was overturned last year. His lawyer, Arthur Aidala, now wants this conviction thrown out as well and to prevent another retrial on the unresolved charge.

Judge Curtis Farber has given Manhattan prosecutors until November 10 to respond and will issue a ruling on December 22 — after District Attorney Alvin Bragg faces reelection on November 4.

The two jurors also said they feared for their safety and that of the foreperson. They described heated arguments, including one juror allegedly threatening the foreperson, saying, “I’ll catch you outside.”

One juror said deliberations turned toxic after some jurors began claiming — without evidence — that Weinstein’s team had bribed another juror. This rumor, the juror said, quickly changed the panel’s 6-6 split into a unanimous guilty verdict.

Weinstein denies all charges. The criminal sex act conviction carries up to 25 years in prison, while the remaining rape charge could add up to four years. He has been in jail since 2020 and is also serving time from a separate California conviction, which he is appealing.