There will be no fourth trial in New York for former US film producer Harvey Weinstein (74) in the Jessica Mann case. The prosecution has dropped the charges, as reported by US media.
District Attorney Alvin Bragg justified ending the proceedings by stating that Mann did not want to testify again. "To be clear: We believe Ms. Mann's account and her credibility as a witness", he stated according to "CBS News". It had been an "extraordinarily grueling ordeal" for her. "We thank her for her honesty and her tremendous courage."
No Agreement in Three Trials
In the previous proceedings, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict after several days of deliberation. Mann had also testified for several days in the third trial. She described an initially consensual relationship, but stated she was assaulted by Weinstein in 2013. Weinstein's defense spoke of a consensual relationship.
The former producer's attorneys said after the decision on the proceedings: "The charges brought by Jessica Mann against Mr. Weinstein should never have been filed, as Harvey and Jessica had a five-year loving relationship. The fact that three juries have heard this case without concluding that Mr. Weinstein committed a crime left the District Attorney with little choice but to drop the charges." Weinstein himself denies all allegations.
Weinstein Remains in Prison
Weinstein was convicted in New York in 2020 for offenses and assault, but this verdict was overturned in 2024 due to procedural errors. Nevertheless, he remains in custody: In a separate trial in California, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2022 for additional offenses, including assault.
