The judge in Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assault trial in Los Angeles has dropped four of the 11 charges filed against the disgraced Hollywood mogul.
Superior Court Judge Lisa Lench dismissed two counts of forcible rape and two counts of forcible oral copulation against Weinstein, 70, on Tuesday after prosecutors said they would not proceed with the counts involving one of his accusers.
The move appeared likely after opening statements, when prosecutors only mentioned four women Weinstein was charged with assaulting, leaving out an accuser identified in the indictment as “Jane Doe #5.”
The prosecutors at first kept the charges in place and left open the possibility the woman would testify, according to The Associated Press. But Deputy District Attorney Paul Thompson told the judge before testimony began Tuesday they would no longer pursue the Jane Doe #5 counts.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has not provided an explanation for why they opted to leave the woman out of the trial, the AP reported.
Weinstein is serving a 23-year sentence in New York after a 2020 conviction on first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape charges.
The remaining charges against him in the Los Angeles trial are two counts of rape and five counts of sexual assault. All four women who have accused Weinstein have testified in the trial, which is into its third week. A total of eight women were expected to testify.
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