Jurors in the rape trial against disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein are reportedly split on the two most serious charges that he is facing.
During their lunch break on Friday, the jury of seven men and five women sent a note to presiding Judge James Burke asking if they are allowed to be hung on the two counts of predatory sexual assault.
“We the jury ask if we can be hung on counts one and three, and unanimous on the others,” the note reportedly read.
According to a report from USA Today, the judge told them to keep deliberating until they could come to an agreement.
“We’re not willing to accept” a partial verdict, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi said.
The judge sided with Illuzzi and said that they must reach a unanimous decision.
“I have your note. Any verdict you return on any counts must be unanimous, so I will ask you to resume your deliberations,” Burke said.
“Just remember that you are in a critical stage,” Burke told the jurors as he dismissed them at 3 p.m. “All deliberations must cease and not continue until you are all in the jury room Monday at 9:30 am.”
The 67-year-old producer is charged with five sex crimes including rape. They stem from allegations by two women, Miriam “Mimi” Haley, who says Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him in 2006, and Jessica Mann, who claims Weinstein raped her in 2013.
