CAMARILLO : Prosecutors Can Use DNA in Rape Case
Prosecutors can use DNA as evidence against a man charged with raping a teen-age girl during the robbery of a Camarillo yogurt shop, a Ventura County judge ruled Tuesday.
Prosecutors had initially told Superior Court Judge Lawrence Storch that they would not be presenting DNA evidence against 21-year-old Christopher Bass of Goleta, but later decided to introduce it at his upcoming trial.
Bass’s attorney asked Storch to exclude the evidence because it would take extra time to prepare the defendant’s case if it is allowed. DNA testing shows that saliva left on the body of the rape victim matches Bass’s genetic makeup, authorities said.
Storch accused prosecutors of vacillating, but said he would allow them to introduce the DNA evidence.
Bass has pleaded not guilty to a 20-count indictment that charges him with a string of robberies last summer, including one at the yogurt shop in which one teen-age girl was raped and another sexually molested.
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