Harvey Weinstein, a former movie mogul, won’t face a fourth trial on a New York rape charge. Prosecutors dropped the case on Thursday after his accuser, Jessica Mann, said she couldn’t bear to testify again.
Background
Mann, a hairstylist and actor, had spent days on the witness stand at all three trials, telling jurors that Weinstein raped her in a Manhattan hotel in 2013. She was questioned extensively about the complex relationship she had with him before and after the alleged rape.
Weinstein denied the charge and said everything that happened between him and Mann was consensual. In a letter to the court, Mann said she could ‘no longer endure going through this,’ adding that the 8-year-old case has ‘put me through more harm than good.’
Prosecutor’s Decision
Prosecutor Nicole Blumberg told the court that prosecutors believe Mann and hail her ‘bravery, strength, courage and inspiration’ to other survivors, but given her feelings about proceeding, ‘dismissal is appropriate.’ With that, Judge Curtis Farber formally dismissed the case.
Weinstein left court with a neutral expression, returning to jail to await a September sentencing on a New York sexual assault conviction involving a different woman. Prosecutors are seeking a 20-year prison term.
Weinstein’s lawyers said he was relieved by the dismissal of the case surrounding Mann’s allegation. ‘These charges should never have been brought to begin with,’ lawyer Jacob Kaplan said outside court. ‘He is innocent.’
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
