M
mein boston
Guest
Last week my friend was arrested and charged with rape. As none of us (my friend or those friends who are helping him) are familiar with criminal procedure we have many questions & no one at the police station or courthoouse have been of any assistance.
The story is that he had consensual sex with another man at approx. 12:45am to 1am. The man left and returned home. No struggle or argument was heard between them by the two other people present in the apartment. At approx. 2:30am the police arrive en mass (about 10 officers) and burst into the apartment arresting my friend and searching his room and home. At no time was any type of warrent produced and the he was not informed of the charge, even after repeated requests for information, until about 20 minutes after being handcuffed. He was then carted off the police department booked and set for arraingment the next morning. He was arrainged and provided with a public defender who (without speaking to him) told a fantastical story to the judge and proceded to give false information about my friend to the judge (ie employment status, place of birth, etc.) His bail was set at $5000 even though he has no prior record and there was never any evidence other than the "victim's" statement. My firend's employment status, lack of record, and other factors that are supposed to be considered in Mass bail law were not considered.
I have a few questions that I would really like information on?
1. How do you find out public defender information? at this time we do not know the name of the PD that was assigned to the case.
2. What exactly is the procedure for arrest as opposed to bringing a person in for questioning? Less than two hours took place between the alleged crime and the arrest, with no known solid evidence, as in a rape kit, trip to the hospital, etc.
3. How do we gain acces to inforamtional related to the case gatheres by the police? The "victim" and my friend had a conversation on a piece of paper (the "victim" is hearing imparied) that talks about consent. We want to know how to gain access to that and other evidence so as to discuss it with the PD.
4. Lastly, any recomendations for groups that could act as advocates. My friend is young, 21, and is not financially well off. We have many reasons to believe that the police rushed with this case because he is gay (based on harassment that he endured from the police) and have been very unhelpful do to this as well. The "victim" is bisexual with a family and has been using the family man angle very much.
Any answers or thoughts would be helpful. We just need some claifications and some help on where to go for information.
I have noticed that there are some negative responses on this board. Please I just want help on no commentary on my friends sexuality or gay setrotypes.
Thank you in advance for any information.
The story is that he had consensual sex with another man at approx. 12:45am to 1am. The man left and returned home. No struggle or argument was heard between them by the two other people present in the apartment. At approx. 2:30am the police arrive en mass (about 10 officers) and burst into the apartment arresting my friend and searching his room and home. At no time was any type of warrent produced and the he was not informed of the charge, even after repeated requests for information, until about 20 minutes after being handcuffed. He was then carted off the police department booked and set for arraingment the next morning. He was arrainged and provided with a public defender who (without speaking to him) told a fantastical story to the judge and proceded to give false information about my friend to the judge (ie employment status, place of birth, etc.) His bail was set at $5000 even though he has no prior record and there was never any evidence other than the "victim's" statement. My firend's employment status, lack of record, and other factors that are supposed to be considered in Mass bail law were not considered.
I have a few questions that I would really like information on?
1. How do you find out public defender information? at this time we do not know the name of the PD that was assigned to the case.
2. What exactly is the procedure for arrest as opposed to bringing a person in for questioning? Less than two hours took place between the alleged crime and the arrest, with no known solid evidence, as in a rape kit, trip to the hospital, etc.
3. How do we gain acces to inforamtional related to the case gatheres by the police? The "victim" and my friend had a conversation on a piece of paper (the "victim" is hearing imparied) that talks about consent. We want to know how to gain access to that and other evidence so as to discuss it with the PD.
4. Lastly, any recomendations for groups that could act as advocates. My friend is young, 21, and is not financially well off. We have many reasons to believe that the police rushed with this case because he is gay (based on harassment that he endured from the police) and have been very unhelpful do to this as well. The "victim" is bisexual with a family and has been using the family man angle very much.
Any answers or thoughts would be helpful. We just need some claifications and some help on where to go for information.
I have noticed that there are some negative responses on this board. Please I just want help on no commentary on my friends sexuality or gay setrotypes.
Thank you in advance for any information.