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Weinstein, 69, who was convicted of rape at a
trial last year in New York, is facing a total of 11 new charges
involving five women in the Beverly Hills and Los Angeles area
between 2004-2013.
Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to the rape and sexual assault
charges in Los Angeles and is appealing his New York conviction
and 23-year prison sentence.
His attorneys on Thursday argued that three charges - rape,
sexual battery and forcible oral copulation - should be thrown
out on the grounds that the statute of limitations in California
has expired.
The Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled against Weinstein on
two of the counts. Prosecutors later amended and refiled the
sexual battery charge, according to court documents.
Weinstein, once one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, could
face up to 140 years in prison if convicted on all 11 of the
charges. A date for the trial has still to be set.
Weinstein's legal team called the judge's decision on Thursday a
victory for the defense.
"It's one thing to say, ok, we're asking for leave to amend,
it's another thing to actually amend, to have the facts to
amend. We don't believe that those facts exist," Alan Jackson,
representing Weinstein, told reporters after the hearing.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Grant McCool and
Karishma Singh)
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