"Rape Cop" Defense Lawyer Compares Vagina To Venus Flytrap

Countless lawyers have tragically injured themselves by mistaking Venus Flytraps for vaginas.

Yesterday the jury for the trial of two cops charged in the rape of a drunk woman in her East Village apartment heard testimony from a specialist in sexual-assault forensic exams. Nurse Karen Carroll did not examine the unidentified woman after the alleged rape, but having reviewed the medical records, Carroll testified the bruising to her cervix was "consistent with something coming into contact with her cervix when she is lying on her stomach." But during cross-examination, a lawyer for Officer Kenneth Moreno, the alleged rapist, had some questions.

In response to a question about why there wasn't any vaginal tearing if the woman was raped, Carroll replied, "If a person is passed out, they are probably not moving and you don't have as much difficulty getting the penis into the opening. That's when Moreno's attorney Chad Seigel asked, "It's not like a Venus Flytrap and snaps?" But before Carroll could dignify that with a response, the judge intervened. "That is a terrible example," Judge Gregory Carro interjected, according to the Daily News.

Ahem. Moving on, Moreno's lawyers tried to downplay the cervical bruising as just a "blemish." But the Post reports that Carroll stood firm, maintaining that the evidence is consistent with the victim's claims of waking on her bed, face-down. Defense lawyers desperately tried to come up with a number of possible explanations for what they deemed a "blemish," all shot down by Carroll. Could it be, they asked, that the cervical bruising stemmed from a venereal disease or an indelicate ER exam? Or—this is from Moreno's lawyer Chad Seigel—isn't it possible she injured herself during vigorous shower scrubbing? Ah, defending (alleged!) rapists: It's a living.

Update (9/9/11): Gothamist has published a long-form feature about the Rape Cop case, written by one of the jurors. It takes you behind the scenes during their deliberations, and explains how they came to their controversial verdict. Buy it today as a PDF or on Kindle.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on April 22, 2011 4:22 PM

Comments [rss]

BEastDuo

If someone is bruising her CERVIX by scrubbing in the shower they are doing it wrong. The fact they he would even imply that is so mind numbingly stupid you want to ask if he ever took 6th grade anatomy.

Results Not Typical Girl

Good for Carroll for standing firm.

I think the judge should have made the defense lawyer demonstrate his point by feeding a flytrap with his beefstick. ;)

- Kirsten (http://results-not-typical-gir...)

Guest

A vagina is more like a PENIS flytrap... Awww SNAP!

OvaltineJenkins

I'm not a gynecologist, but I am willing to take a look.

Jorge Cortes

Where's the petition to have these defense lawyers disbarred? I bet a few hundred thousand people would really like to sign that right about now.

TimeDown

Disbarred for what exactly?

canofpeas

With that kind of defense, you know the slime bucket rapist cops are getting their defensive asses kicked.

Rosser1

"Ah, defending (alleged!) rapists: It's a living."

It's also a constitutionally guaranteed right and one of the better aspects of our legal system.

Minabee

Oh right, a cervical 'blemish.' Why do I feel like the same people who make those ads about preventing unsightly unmoisturized armpits are going to jump right on this bandwagon? Cervical concealer, here we come.

Roger_the_Shrubber

With a defense attorney like that, who needs a prosecutor?

Alexis Arnold

God men are ignorant, one does not scrub their cervix clean.

drcrimson

LOL, what are you doing on the computer? Shouldn't you be in the kitchen, making me a sandwich?

Peanut_Butter

There's no information that the lawyer asked whether she scrubbed her cervix, but simply whether somehow the redness could have been caused (directly or indirectly) by the action of vigorous scrubbing. The defense lawyer would have consulted his own expert on the matter and be well-acquainted with female anatomy. His job is merely to elicit a seed of doubt which would lead to acquittal.

The comment about a venus flytrap is just plain crass. Other than incurring the jury's wrath (esp. a woman juror), I don't know what the goal could possibly have been. As personagratin says, I'd also like to know the gender make-up of the jury.

TheRealCannibal

do you know where the cervix is? You would need a bottle brush, or pipe cleaners to scrub that.

jaycjay

You can't really think that the lawyer asked that question because he actually thought it could be true. I mean, I wouldn't want to call anyone 'ignorant', so I guess I will go with 'naive'.