The jury in the trial of former movie executive Harvey Weinstein has begun its deliberations. Jurors were told by the judge to use “common sense.”
However, just before the jury received instructions from Justice James Burke, prosecutors accused lead Weinstein attorney Donna Rotunno of jury tampering due to an op-ed she penned in “Newsweek,” imploring the jury to “look past the headlines.”
Weinstein faces five criminal charges, including sexual assault and rape, stemming from testimonies by two women.
Since the New York Times and New Yorker magazine broke the Harvey Weinstein story more than two years ago, more than 80 women have accused him of sexual misconduct. The story helped launch the MeToo movement to hold men and companies accountable for sexual harassment. Weinstein has denied ever having had nonconsensual sex and pleaded not guilty.
What are the implications of the trial? How long are deliberations expected to take?
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