Harvey Weinstein has won a small victory in his sexual assault criminal case: A judge has dropped one of his six charges.

In May, a New York grand jury voted to indict the producer on one charge of a criminal sexual act in the first degree, stemming from an alleged 2004 encounter with a woman—later identified to be actress Lucia Evans; charges of rape in the first and third degrees, stemming from an alleged 2013 encounter with a second woman; and two counts of predatory assault and one count of criminal sexual act in the first degree stemming from an alleged 2006 encounter with a third. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and has for months been free on a $1 million bail.

On Thursday, a New York judge ruled to dismiss the first charge of criminal sexual act in the first degree stemming from the alleged 2004 encounter with Evans, after Weinstein’s attorney filed a motion to drop the case.  Dismissing the charge would not "affect the strength of the larger case,” lead prosecutor Joan Illuzzi-Orbon said, adding, "We are moving full-speed ahead.”

Agencies