Dating app, text messages fuel Day 1 of rape trial for former UD pitcher

[laylalex 7,285]

Quote

“She knew he was on Bumble to hook up. She knew he wasn’t looking for a relationship,” Woloshin said. “And with all this, she willingly drove over to Clay Conaway’s house. So, was the plan really to watch a movie?”

 

Prosecutor Casey Ewart said in her opening statement that the woman had joined dating apps like Bumble and Tinder after getting out of a long-term relationship, and that she thought she was going over Conaway’s house “just to hang out.”

https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2019/09/16/clay-conaway-faces-first-possibly-six-trials-rape-charges/2234519001/

 

Just because you know someone isn't looking for a relationship, just because you come over to someone's house, just because you tell your friends you need sex, just because you think someone is cute, does not mean that you consent to having sex. I know it's the defense attorney's job to cast doubt on the prosecution's case, but it's just so insulting to this woman. I'm glad that I'm a serial monogamist who last dated casually in the second term of the Dubya administration, these apps terrify me.

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

5 hours ago, laylalex said:

https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2019/09/16/clay-conaway-faces-first-possibly-six-trials-rape-charges/2234519001/

 

Just because you know someone isn't looking for a relationship, just because you come over to someone's house, just because you tell your friends you need sex, just because you think someone is cute, does not mean that you consent to having sex. I know it's the defense attorney's job to cast doubt on the prosecution's case, but it's just so insulting to this woman. 

All true, except the last sentence.  Imagine for a moment that the guy is telling the truth and all the messages are accurate.  Imagine for a moment that she did it it with him consensually, then regretted it.  Now how insulting is it to do nothing more than make public the women's texts?  

 

Sadly, right now this appears to be a "he said/she said" case, and we may never know the truth.  

 

Also, I'd like some clarification on the difference between 1st & 2nd degree rape:

 

FIRST DEGREE RAPE

First degree rape involves forcible compulsion and may occur with the use or threatened use of a deadly weapon, kidnapping, infliction of serious bodily injury to the alleged victim, or burglary. It is a class A felony, which allows for up to life imprisonment.

SECOND DEGREE RAPE

Second degree rape occurs in cases that involve forcible compulsion but do not rise to the level of a first degree offense. It may also occur when an alleged victim is mentally incapacitated or physically helpless, or when the defendant is in a position of authority over the alleged victim, such as in a healthcare or eldercare facility. It is also a class A felony. A defendant may offer evidence of a reasonable belief that the alleged victim was not mentally incapacitated or physically helpless at the time of the alleged offense as a defense to prosecution.

[Steeleballz 7,550]

8 hours ago, laylalex said:

https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2019/09/16/clay-conaway-faces-first-possibly-six-trials-rape-charges/2234519001/

 

Just because you know someone isn't looking for a relationship, just because you come over to someone's house, just because you tell your friends you need sex, just because you think someone is cute, does not mean that you consent to having sex. I know it's the defense attorney's job to cast doubt on the prosecution's case, but it's just so insulting to this woman. I'm glad that I'm a serial monogamist who last dated casually in the second term of the Dubya administration, these apps terrify me.

 

  If I read right, there are 6 different rape cases pending against this guy, each being tried separately. Doesn't seem like it will be an easy thing to cast doubt.

[Dashinka 24,512]

16 hours ago, laylalex said:

https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2019/09/16/clay-conaway-faces-first-possibly-six-trials-rape-charges/2234519001/

 

Just because you know someone isn't looking for a relationship, just because you come over to someone's house, just because you tell your friends you need sex, just because you think someone is cute, does not mean that you consent to having sex. I know it's the defense attorney's job to cast doubt on the prosecution's case, but it's just so insulting to this woman. I'm glad that I'm a serial monogamist who last dated casually in the second term of the Dubya administration, these apps terrify me.

Just wondering, is the lawyer for this guy supposed to just phone it in?  Wouldn't she lose her law license if she was found to have done that, or at the very least be punished by the bar?  As to if this guy did it, I understand there is a presumption of innocence in this country at least in theory.  Since he is on trial, then I suppose it will be up to the jury if he actually did it.  I agree though with @Steeleballz, with a few more charges hanging over his head in the future, it will be a tough and expensive fight.

[laylalex 7,285]

2 hours ago, Bill & Katya said:

Just wondering, is the lawyer for this guy supposed to just phone it in?  Wouldn't she lose her law license if she was found to have done that, or at the very least be punished by the bar?  

Ummmm, that is literally what I said. It's her job to mount a zealous defense of her client. My dad's a lawyer, and I don't know how he works for some of the people he does (not criminal law, but scummy people breach contracts and similar all the time). So yes, she is doing her job to cast doubt. All I was saying before is that it must be hard for the victim hear those things said about her.

 

I have a dear friend who was sexually assaulted back when I lived in SoCal. I was there with her as the police, who were very professional with her, basically told her that there was no way the DA would pursue her case because it was he said-she said. There was just nothing they could do. They tried to get her to get the guy to confess but in the end psychologically it was just too much for her. She couldn't speak to this guy again, a guy she met on Tindr. She's a very tough woman but it took its toll on her. She dropped out of her PhD program and never went back to it. One of the things the cops said to her at the time was that the texts she had with the guy before the incident were very suggestive so it could look like she wanted it. There was also the issue that she had what I'll call a different attitude towards monogamy and was dating several guys already when it happened. The cops said this damaged her credibility. 

 

This one date ruined over five years of her life. She was raped under the definition of rape in California law (I won't get into it but it doesn't look like "classic" rape) and this guy just went on with his life. The only thing she was able to do was to get a keep away order against him. He moved back to Canada eventually (I kept tabs on him).

 

So my own experience with my friend makes me feel a lot of sympathy for the victim. My friend was essentially told her case wasn't good because she was slutty. And this was by a sympathetic police officer who believed her! Sorry for the long post, just a lot on my mind from this.

Edited September 20, 2019 by laylalex
Extra word.

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

9 hours ago, laylalex said:

 

My friend was essentially told her case wasn't good because she was slutty.

I took the liberty of shortening your post a bit.  Not to take away from the sadness of your friend's plight (if indeed she was telling the truth; I have no way of knowing) but to illustrate how easily it can be to cause cases of real rape to be shot down before they get their day in court.  Sadly, in the case in this thread, I see it going the same way, and he may be found innocent.  But perhaps one of the other 6 cases will stick.  Only time will tell.

 

It's pretty damn hard to convict the guy when the woman is clearly coming on to him and acting slutty, unless there are witnesses.  Which is pretty rare, I'd imagine.