Breaking News
Five years after prosecutors launched prices towards a Newport Shoreline surgeon and his lady friend, portraying them as serial predators who drugged inclined girls folks, a determine has thrown out the closing closing sex prices within the case.
In ruling that there was too tiny proof to send Grant Robicheaux and Cerissa Riley to trial for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting two girls folks, Orange County Superior Court docket Resolve Michael Leversen on Friday handed the defendants a prime victory however an incomplete one.
The 2 need to unruffled face a felony payment of drugging the drink of even handed most certainly the most ladies folks, the determine dominated. Robicheaux, an orthopedic surgeon once deemed the county’s “Most Eligible Bachelor” by a neighborhood journal, also faces two felony counts of unlawful possession of assault weapons, plus misdemeanor prices of possessing cocaine and other remedy.
Learn more: Prosecutors prepared to focal point rape case towards Orange County doctor, lady friend round 2 girls folks
The case has been a tabloid favourite, in fragment on yarn of of Robicheaux’s appearance on the Bravo truth point out “On-line Dating Rituals of the American Male.”
Defense attorneys have portrayed Robicheaux and Riley, a worn schoolteacher, as tough-partying swingers. Both verbalize having nonconsensual sex with any of the accusers.
After announcing prices towards the couple in 2018, Orange County prosecutors said that more than a dozen girls folks had accused Robicheaux of attacking them, with some alleging Riley’s participation.
Robicheaux was charged with sexually assaulting 5 girls folks. Riley was charged with being interested by attacks on three.
Then-Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas said a search of Robicheaux’s property had grew to was up “tens or an total bunch” of it sounds as if incriminating home videos, some featuring girls folks “highly intoxicated beyond the flexibility to consent or face up to.”
Rackauckas characterised the couple as predators who stumbled on victims in Newport Shoreline bars and restaurants and lured them to Robicheaux’s home for sex after plying them with remedy. One accuser in contrast them to “Bonnie and Clyde.”
The case immediate grew to was entangled in politics, with Todd Spitzer, who was working for district lawyer, accusing Rackauckas of embellishing the case and exploiting it in hopes of winning reelection.
After Spitzer received, he ordered a review of the case and launched it had “serious proof concerns.” There had been no videos of incapacitated girls folks being sexually assaulted, he said.
Learn more: Inner memo criticizes O.C. district lawyer’s review of Robicheaux rape case
However Orange County Superior Court docket Resolve Gregory Jones refused to let Spitzer brush aside the prices and took the rare step of hunting down the local district lawyer’s reputation of job from the case, announcing Spitzer’s reputation had left his prosecutors “hopelessly conflicted.”
The California lawyer overall’s reputation of job launched closing August that it would proceed towards the defendants with a focal point on allegations by the closing two victims.
This anecdote within the beginning regarded in Los Angeles Times.