Maryland Police Officer Sentenced To Home Detention For Rape

In some cases, a rape conviction under Maryland law can mean life in prison. In other cases, a person may do no prison time at all.

This was recently the case in Maryland, when a police officer convicted of raping and assaulting two women was given a slap on the wrist. Originally given a 15-year prison term, the judge decided to suspend most of the term. The officer is left with a four-year home detention. The judge made the decision after it was determined that there was no psychological injury.
The state attorney was disappointed with the punishment, stating that it was not appropriate and that a police officer should know better. He felt as if the victims did not get justice, which might deter rape victims from reporting crimes in the future.
The police officer was arrested in 2019 after he was accused of raping two women. He was sentenced in August after pleading not guilty to rape and assault in the second degree, among other crimes.

One of the cases occurred in 2017. The police officer arranged for a woman to get a ride home after she drank too much. However, the woman claimed that the officer instead took her to his house. The woman had passed out but when she woke up, the man was raping her.

A second rape occurred, but the police officer was acquitted of that crime. A third woman was involved, and the officer was convicted of forcibly kissing her.

Prosecutors were pushing for the police officer to serve 5-10 years in prison. Instead, the judge found that one victim did not suffer psychological injury, so a charge of second-degree rape was removed. This led to the lighter sentence.

However, prosecutors claim that the judge contradicted himself. The judge described the woman’s rape as “maybe the most traumatic moment of her life.” Plus, the woman had to go to therapy, so how could she not suffer psychological injury?

While the police officer was “relieved” to be sentenced to home confinement, his lawyer is planning to appeal the conviction. He claims that the 2017 rape charge was the result of a said/she said situation in which the parties involved were intoxicated.

The police officer had joined the Baltimore County police department in 2013. After he was charged with the rapes, he was placed on unpaid suspension. He was fired after his sentencing.

Contact a Maryland Criminal Defense Attorney Today

Rape, sexual assault, and other sex crimes are punished harshly, resulting in many years in prison. However, it is possible to get these penalties reduced in some cases.

Seek legal help from the Columbia sex crimes lawyers at the Law Offices of Todd K. Mohink, P.A. We will aggressively fight for your rights and help you get the best defense possible for these serious crimes. To schedule a free consultation, fill out the online form or call (410) 774-5987. We have two offices to serve you.

Resource:

nbcnews.com/news/us-news/maryland-police-officer-convicted-rape-sentenced-home-detention-rcna6416