Los Angeles: Harvey Weinstein will not be retried for alleged attacks on two women, a Los Angeles judge ruled on Tuesday, after a jury was unable to rule on the charges.
The former movie mogul was convicted last year of raping a European actress at a Beverly Hills hotel a decade earlier. He was jailed for 16 years, a sentence he will serve after serving a 23-year sentence imposed by a New York court.
But the Los Angeles jury deadlocked on charges involving two other women and prosecutors said Tuesday they did not feel able to proceed with a new trial.
Superior Court Judge Lisa Lench granted the defense’s motion to dismiss the other charges.
A lengthy trial has learned how the ‘Shakespeare in Love’ producer forced himself on young actresses trying to establish themselves in Hollywood.
Prosecutors said Weinstein exploited and abused women for years and long enjoyed impunity due to his then-powerful position in the industry.
Explosive allegations erupted against him in 2017, launching the #MeToo movement and paving the way for hundreds of women to fight sexual violence in the workplace.
Dozens of women have now accused Weinstein of predatory behavior.
The disgraced producer has long maintained his innocence and is appealing his convictions in New York and Los Angeles. (AFP)