Orange County DA given OK to proceed with high-profile rape case in Newport Beach
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer announced Friday that his office has been given the green light to move forward with the prosecution of a Newport Beach surgeon and his girlfriend accused of drugging and raping seven women, despite Spitzer’s concerns over how former DA Tony Rackauckas initially handled the case.
The case involving Grant William Robicheaux and Cerissa Laura Riley was pulled into the election year battle, after Spitzer accused Rackauckas of exploiting it for political gain.
Robicheaux and Riley have both denied that any non-consensual sex have occurred. Their attorneys have contended that allegedly incorrect statements by Rackauckas during news conferences last year inflated the number of potential victims and tainted the jury pool.
Following an arraignment last year, the DA’s office, then led by Rackauckas, accused Spitzer of providing members of the media with sealed search warrants. A judge found that the search warrant had been public when Spitzer received it, and was therefore a public document.
Since taking over the DA office, Spitzer said he has re-evaluated the case, and decided to continue prosecuting the couple. Spitzer also said that the California Attorney General’s Office has looked into the situation at his request, and have determined that local prosecutors can continue their role in the case.
One of the alleged victim’s has filed a civil lawsuit against Robicheaux and Riley. Spitzer alleged that depositions taken from Rackauckas and his former chief of staff, Susan Kang Schroeder, in connection with the civil suit include statements from the former DA officials that are “disturbing” and reflect attempts to “besmirch” Spitzer’s reputation prior to the election.
Spitzer declined to describe the statements further.
But at one point in the depositions, Rackauckas answers a question about whether he thought the publicity surrounding the case would be helpful to his campaign by saying “of course.”
Spitzer announced he has contacted the state bar to determine whether Rackauckas or Schroeder violated rules against pre-trial publicity.
“I am committed to ensuring that this case will be handled legally, ethically and justly,” Spitzer wrote in his statement. “The victims, the defendants and the people of Orange County deserve nothing less.”
Rackauckas did not respond to a request for comment on Friday, while Schroeder could not be reached for comment.
Riley and Robicheaux’s attorneys declined to comment on the DA’s announcement that they will be moving forward with the criminal case. The defense attorneys previously have indicated that they ultimately plan to file a motion requesting the case against the pair be dismissed due to outrageous government misconduct.