Weinstein trial: Jurors start 3rd day with defense witness testimony

Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Jurors on Thursday ended their third day of deliberations in the sexual assault trial of former Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein.

The jury did not reach a conclusion in the case but began Thursday morning by reviewing the testimony of Paul Feldsher, the first witness called by Weinstein's attorneys who challenged a claim by prosecution witness Annabella Sciorra that she was raped by the Hollywood executive in the early 1990s.

On Thursday afternoon, jurors requested to read the cross-examination and "everything afterward" from Sciorra's testimony.

A transcript will be read to the jury on Friday but a second item -- an exhibit showing the list of people spoke to about the alleged rape -- was not received in evidence and will not be provided to jurors.

The jury will also review exhibits presented with the testimony of forensic psychologist Dr. Barbara Ziv, and more communications between Weinstein and the private spy agency that he hired to monitor his accusers. Wednesday, jurors read email correspondence between Weinstein and Sciorra as it related to actress Rosie Perez. In testimony last month, Perez corroborated Sciorra's accusation.

Weinstein faces two charges -- one for an assault accusation prosecutors say occurred in 2013 and another seven years earlier.

Sciorra's claim is not part of the charges against Weinstein, but prosecutors introduced her claims to establish a predatory pattern.

Weinstein has said the encounters were consensual and the women willingly participated, hoping it might advance their careers in Hollywood.

If convicted, the former producer could spend the rest of his life in prison.