Manhattan prosecutors dismiss Weinstein assault charge

Manhattan prosecutors moved to dismiss a sexual assault charge against Harvey Weinstein on Thursday, ending the possibility of a fourth trial after the accuser said she could no longer endure testifying. The decision closes a specific chapter in the legal saga against the former film producer, though he remains imprisoned due to separate felony convictions in New York and California.

The charge, third-degree sexual assault, stemmed from an allegation by hairstylist and actress Jessica Mann, who accused Weinstein of raping her in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013. Prosecutors from District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office said they made the decision following discussions with Mann, who did not wish to testify again. Mann had already testified before two grand juries and three trial juries over eight years.

In a letter read to the court, Mann wrote that after much reflection, she chose not to proceed with a fourth trial. "It was clear to me at this last trial I could no longer endure going through this any longer," she stated. She described the process as an extraordinarily taxing ordeal that had changed her in irrevocable ways. Prosecutors affirmed their belief in Mann’s account and...