Judge Excuses Juror From Rape Trial
A juror in a rape trial who tried to bolt from a Van Nuys courtroom Tuesday during the playing of a sexually explicit home videotape was excused from the case Thursday.
Superior Court Judge Judith M. Ashmann replaced the woman with an alternate in the trial of Edward J. Riley, 34, an immigration agent accused of raping or attempting to rape seven Latina women, either by threatening them with his service revolver or saying he would deport them if they resisted.
The juror burst into tears and attempted to leave the room during the screening of the tape. It shows Riley and a woman freely engaging in sex.
The defense contends the woman on the tape is one of Riley’s seven accusers and that the tape discredits her claim of forcible rape. The prosecution said the woman is not involved in the case.
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