If the charges against Weinstein are dismissed, will any of his other victims come forward?

It’s hard to see why they would, given Weinstein’s alleged history of surveilling, blackmailing, rumor-mongering and generally terrorizing his enemies. And then there’s the feckless Cy Vance, who refused to charge Weinstein for sexual assault in 2015, even though the producer was caught in a sting operation. (Weinstein’s attorneys donated more than $55,000 to Vance over the years.)

The current case against Weinstein is falling apart. One of six charges was dismissed on Oct. 11. The prosecutor revealed that a detective on that case allegedly encouraged an accuser to delete information on her phone. Two accusers were shown to have made contact with Weinstein after their alleged assault, according to the defense.

Despite what we now know about sexual assault and rape — that victims, especially of the rich and powerful, sometimes carry on relationships with their victimizers — it won’t matter in the eyes of the law.