A juror in Harvey Weinstein’s New York trial says the testimony of accuser Annabella Sciorra was convincing to some on the jury. “The way things went for her, it was wrong,” the woman identified only as Juror #2 tells Inside Edition in an exclusive interview tonight.
The jury returned convictions on two counts against Weinstein yesterday, including first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape, charges stemming from the testimony of the trial’s primary accusers Mimi Haley and Jessica Mann.
But Weinstein was acquitted on two counts of predatory sexual assault – both involving Sciorra’s testimony of being raped by the former producer during the winter of 1993-1994.
“I wouldn’t say [Sciorra’s testimony] wasn’t convincing, it was very much so convincing to a lot of the jurors,” the juror says. “I feel like the way things went for her, it was wrong. I feel like hopefully with the verdict we gave, she feels that she has some type of closure.”
Watch video from the segment above.
Earlier today, Sciorra’s attorney, Gloria Allred, said on The View that she believed some jury members sided with the former Sopranos actress during deliberations, which Juror #2 now confirms.
“Every last woman that took the stand, I wish them the best,” the juror tells Inside Edition‘s Megan Alexander. “I hope this is now a chapter that they can close and move forward with their lives now.”
Also in the interview, the juror describes the mood during deliberations. “Tensions were very high,” she says. “Everyone was nervous. All I can say is that the temperature in the room was very high.”
Upon reaching the verdicts, she says, “My hands were sweating. I felt like my heart was literally going to pop out of my chest. It was just, I wouldn’t say nerve-wracking, but it was just, ‘this is it, this is the moment.’”
The juror also speaks of her reaction to being shown photographs of a naked Weinstein (photos that were not shown to spectators or reporters in the courtroom, although sketch artists caught the images).
“I tried to block it out,” the juror says. “It was presented to us, so it wasn’t something that we could have blocked out, but it’s hard not to make a face.” During the trial, Weinstein’s defense attorneys strenuously objected to showing the photos, arguing that the images served no identification purpose and were merely intended to “shame” the defendant.
As for the jury’s questions to Judge James Burke last Friday that led to speculation about the deadlock on the predatory charge, Juror #2 says, “We wanted to get more clarification on how to move forward. Some people wanted to go home and think about it. Some people wanted to think long and hard about the decisions we had to make.”
By Monday, she says she was “confident” in her decision, and that “We had one person take control, he was the person that put everyone on the right path.”
The juror, who says she didn’t know who Weinstein was “until someone actually broke it down” for her, says the jury was impressed by Weinstein’s defense attorneys. “He had a strong team, very strong,” she says. “They made valid points.”