Three witnesses took the stand on the behalf of the defense
today in the morning session of the trial for former sheriff’s Sgt.
Michael Rodrigues. One of the three was a detective who spoke about
the investigation and how it was conducted. He confirmed one of the
four suspected victims in 2007 initially said Rodrigues did not
assault her, but that she went back a year later to tell the
truth.
HOLLISTER
Three witnesses took the stand on the behalf of the defense today in the morning session of the trial for former sheriff’s deputy Michael Rodrigues, including two of his former co-workers.
Rodrigues is accused of four rape charges during an eight-year period beginning in 1999, when he was employed by the sheriff’s office. He is also charged on suspicion of domestic violence and unlawful sexual penetration.
The jury trial started Wednesday, and the prosecution finished its case Monday in the proceedings expected to last another week or so.
The first witness to take the stand today for the defense was reserve sheriff’s deputy John Klauer, who was with Rodrigues in 2004 when they were both hired on as security for a biker event in Laughlin, Nev. Klauer said he did speak to other police about the incident involving the defendant and an apparent prostitute during the May trip.
He testified that he told then-Sgt. Carlos Reynoso of the Hollister Police Department and San Benito County Sheriff’s Office Detective Tom Keylon. An official police report, however, was never filed about the incident.
Klauer then was re-called to the witness stand by Deputy District Attorney Patrick Palacios where he admitted to having told then-Sgt.Wes Walker about the incident in Laughlin.
Defense attorney Art Cantu followed by calling to the stand an acquaintance of Rodrigues’ through riding motorcycles. In her testimony, the woman said her mother-in-law was treated by Jane Doe No. 4 and that she asked the suspected victim about the rape incident after hearing about it from a different source. When she asked what had happened, she testified the suspected victim told her it “was a mistake and she was pissed off.”
During the cross examination, though, Palacios asked if the victim had ever said she wasn’t raped, and DeShong said “no.”
Keylon was called next by the defense and spoke almost entirely about the internal affairs investigations put on by the sheriff’s office in 2007. He said after he had interviewed Klauer, who told him about the incident in Laughlin, he interviewed Jane Doe No. 4.
As previously stated in her own testimony, in 2007, the suspected victim went to the interview and lied about the sexual assault. A year later in September 2008, Keylon said he interviewed her again because “she had to clear her conscience about the first interview.” He also testified that she had been harboring him and she had feelings for him but his aggressiveness made her clear the air.
During his cross examination, Palacios confirmed with Keylon that during the first interview with the suspected victim, she reported she never had been sexually assaulted. He confirmed that a year later during the second interview, she changed her story and admitted a sexual assault did occur.
