A Los Angeles judge ruled on December 16 that a sexual assault and battery lawsuit against Marilyn Manson filed by his former assistant Ashley Walters had been dismissed and that a trial set to start next month could not go forward. However, Walters has revived her lawsuit against Manson after it was dismissed in a Los Angeles court in December, according to LoudWire. Per Rolling Stone, a new California law that took effect on Jan. 1 may help in pushing the case forward.

Originally, Los Angeles County Judge Steve Cochran ruled that the evidence showed that Manson’s former assistant’s claims fell outside the statute of limitations and could not be revived based on the argument that her memories of alleged abuse had been suppressed. Now in her new filing, Walters cites California’s AB 250 statute and asked that the judge either vacate the summary judgment or allow it to be amended to reflect the new statute that extends the statute of limitations on sexual assault claims.

The statute of limitations kept causing issues in the case. About the original ruling, Los Angeles County Judge Steve Cochran said “We have a situation where the complaint was not filed until about 10 years after the operative events. I’m not able to find that the delayed discovery rule is applicable,” and he continued, “I don’t have the authority to rule that the delayed discovery doctrine would apply under the circumstances that exist in this case.”

Photo Credit: Owen Ela