Published 22:23 IST, February 28th 2020

Weinstein juror: #MeToo movement was not a factor in trial

The jury that convicted Harvey Weinstein of rape and sex assault did not consider the trial’s implications for the #MeToo movement, one of the jurors said in an interview aired Friday.

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jury that convicted Harvey Weinstein of rape and sex assault did t consider trial’s implications for #MeToo movement, one of jurors said in an interview aired Friday.

“, zero, absolutely zero,” juror Drew Malbin said on “CBS This Morning.” “Because it’s t job and it’s t what we were asked to do.”

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He ded, “It would be an ulteration of process to take outside factors and have that weigh on our decision-making process and eventual findings.”

Weinstein, 67, was found guilty Monday of raping an aspiring actress in a New York City hotel room in 2013 and sexually assaulting production assistant Mimi Haleyi at his apartment in 2006. He faces possibility of years in prison when he is sentenced in March.

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Malbin, who was identified in CBS interview by his first name alone, said jury took pains to make a decision based on law and evidence.

He said actress’ testimony about 2013 assault warranted a guilty verdict on charge of third-degree rape, a lesser charge than first-degree conviction sought by prosecutors.

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“It wasn’t rape in first degree,” Malbin said. “re was physical compulsion with threat of bodily harm or death. But re was consent given, despite a lack of physical resistance, and a reasonable person should have kwn that re was consent given in that instance.”

Weinstein has said that any sexual contact was consensual. His lawyers have promised to appeal conviction.

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former Hollywood mogul, who has an injured back and or health problems, has been in Bellevue Hospital’s wing for prisoners while awaiting transfer to New York City’s Rikers Island jail complex.

Asked by CBS’ Gayle King wher Weinstein should be in jail, Malbin said, “That’s t for me to say.”

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“You kw, I could say that a man of his and of his current health, general population at Rikers sounds like a pretty dangerous place,” Malbin said.

Associated Press does t typically identify people who say y are victims of sex crimes unless y grant permission, as Haleyi did.

(Elizabeth Williams via AP)

22:23 IST, February 28th 2020