A rare look into the challenges of prosecuting violent crimes
BALTIMORE (WBFF) -- A rare look into the case against an accused rapist, and the challenges prosecutors say they face in convicting people charged with violent crimes. Through jailhouse recordings, we look at what prosecutors believe shows an attempt to change testimony before a trial begins.
A man is charged with raping his ex-girlfriend on three separate days. The woman gives statements to police saying she was raped, but she will not testify in court. Prosecutors in the case found out about a week before the trial began, that the man and woman (whose names we are not releasing) married. The woman used her right not to testify against her husband.
Prosecutors would not be able to use her statements in court, unless they could show the defendant did something to block the woman from testifying. To support their arguments, they used phone calls the defendant made while he was in jail.
"The only chance i have is for my family to take them in, take care of those kids. If so, she wants to be a part of this family, recant everything she said," the man says in one call.
Prosecutors say this phone call shows the defendant's plan to coerce a rape victim into not testifying. The defendant's attorney disagrees. "At no point in the phone calls does (my client) say, "we need to get her to change her story to a lie," said defense attorney Andrew Jezic.
Prosecutors say the phone calls played a part in the judge ruling the woman's previous statements to police could be used in court. The defendant violated bond conditions saying he needed to stay away from the woman. The prosecution said he violated his bond to prevent the woman from testifying against him.
As the jury deliberated the case, Jezic recorded an interview with the woman, in case of a guilty verdict. He gave us a transcript. The woman was asked,"in some occasions did he force himself on you?" she answers, "no, he never did that."
The man was found guilty on one of three rape charges. He served about nine months in jail.
Courtesy of Paul McGrew of Fox 45 News