Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Curtis Farber declared a mistrial Friday in the third New York sex-crimes trial against former film producer Harvey Weinstein [1, 2].
The ruling follows a series of legal battles to hold the former mogul accountable for rape and sexual assault. This deadlock prevents an immediate conviction or acquittal, leaving the legal status of the charges in limbo as the court determines the next steps.
Judge Farber ended the proceedings just after 1 p.m. local time on May 15, 2026 [1, 2]. The decision came after the jury informed the court that they could not reach a unanimous verdict on the charges.
According to reports, the deadlock was driven by a split in the jury's findings. Four female jurors voted to acquit [1, 4], while the remaining jurors refused to change their positions. The impasse became absolute when the jury indicated that no one is going to change where they stand [4].
This was the third single trial iteration in New York City for Weinstein [2]. The legal process in the Manhattan Supreme Court has been marked by repeated attempts to secure a verdict following previous legal challenges and overturned convictions.
Court officials did not immediately specify if the prosecution will seek a fourth trial. The judge's decision to declare a mistrial is a procedural necessity when a jury is unable to agree on a verdict despite extensive deliberation.
“No one is going to change where they stand.”
The declaration of a mistrial underscores the high evidentiary bar for unanimous verdicts in complex sex-crime cases. Because the jury was deadlocked rather than acquitting the defendant, the prosecution retains the option to retry the case, though the repeated failure to reach a verdict may influence future legal strategies and the decision to pursue further charges in New York.
