[1], In a September 2018 press conference, the Orange County District Attorney, Tony Rackauckas, stated that detectives had found a video of the sex acts with one of the victim. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? Both Cerissa and Chad came from deeply religious Christian families, according to Woodruff. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? His ethnicity is White. Attorneys for Dr. Grant Robicheaux and Cerissa Riley argued that the warrant to search the residence at 202 44th St. for drugs and DNA should be quashed and anything found during the resulting search be deemed inadmissible. Over three months, prosecutors looked at thousands of photographs and videos that had been taken from the couples computers, hundreds of hours of audio recordings, thousands of pages of documents and tens of thousands of text messages between Robicheaux and Riley spanning four years. Instead, Jones removed the district attorneys office from the case and ordered it be turned over to the California attorney generals office. 9:18 AM EST, Tue February 11, 2020, Rape charges against reality TV surgeon to be dropped. The woman said the drugs felt different than any of the drugs she commonly used, according to the judge. [1] On September 6, 2018, the Newport Beach Police turned the investigation over to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. Both Riley and Robicheaux were freed on $100,000 bail, and return to court on Oct. 25 for an arraignment. The review of the case by the D.A.s office came under scrutiny during a personnel investigation into a district attorney investigator, Jennifer Kearns. [1] The District Attorney filed charges on September 11, 2018, and detectives arrested Robicheaux and Riley on September 12, 2018. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Over the past three years of the case, the lawsuit has been subject to political infighting between the former and current district attorney. Rackauckas said he believed the womens complaints based on the evidence he had. At one point the California Attorney General's Office took over the case from the Orange County District Attorney's Office after it determined that District Attorney Todd Spitzer and Tony Rackauckas, a political rival and his predecessor, used the case to further their own political ambitions. Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. The poverty level is really bad out there. [5] Spitzer believed that Rackauckas had used the case to gain positive media attention before the election for district attorney and stated he would move to have all charges filed by Rackauckas against Robicheaux and Riley dropped. 2023 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Things got weird fast, Opinion: California wants more psychiatric detentions. The charges had initially involved five victims. CNNs Dakin Andone contributed to this report. Dr. Grant Robicheaux and girlfriend Cerissa Riley, pictured in October 2018, were charged with drugging and raping multiple women. They agreed to meet in person at a Newport Beach restaurant, with Riley joining them and posing as a friend. If convicted on all counts, Riley faces up to 30 years in state prison; Robicheaux could . The investigators findings were outlined in a memo sent in July from Cmdr. Fry most recently covered breaking news for The Times and was part of the team that was a 2020 Pulitzer finalist for its coverage of a boat fire that killed 34 people off the coast of Santa Barbara. [4] As of August 2021, Robicheaux was charged with sexually assaulting two women and Riley was charged with three alleged victims.[2][4][6]. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said the case against the couple was fueled by his predecessor, Tony Rackauckas, trying to gain support for his re-election campaign. That woman said she met the defendants at a bar, and at some point she felt as if she blacked out at the bar and awoke later on the floor of the residence associated with the defendants and remembers a man hitting her in the face and someone else kicking her in the head, Fish wrote. Prosecutors claim Robicheaux and Riley administered drugs in order to engage in sexual intercourse with an incapacitated victim. They also allegedly gave the woman cocaine and PCP. But instead of granting that motion, as many expected, the judge took it under submission and allowed more time for all parties to present more facts, Fell said. I didnt create this situation, but its my responsibility to fix it, Spitzer said. Over three months, prosecutors looked at thousands of photographs and videos that had been taken from the couple's computers, hundreds of hours of audio recordings, thousands of pages of documents. Spitzer announced that his office would request that charges against Robicheaux and Riley be dismissed after a review of the case found a lack of evidence and a mishandling of the case by the previous DA. It was never a question, Robicheaux said. We are conducting a very thorough and independent review of the case, Martinez said. Send us a tip using our annonymous form. The unusual move came after a prosecutor pointed out serious proof problems with the case, Spitzer said at the time. She told police someone was filming the incident. Grant Robicheaux, left, and Cerissa Riley, the Newport Beach doctor and his girlfriend accused of drugging and raping multiple women, listen during a hearing in Orange County Superior Court on . ), At Willie Nelson 90, country, rock and rap stars pay tribute, but Willie and Trigger steal the show, Concertgoer lets out a loud full body orgasm while L.A. Phil plays Tchaikovskys 5th, Plaschke: Lakers live up to their legacy with a close-out win for the ages, L.A. Affairs: I had my reasons for not dating white men. By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The judge in the case had asked the state to file a brief explaining why it planned to dismiss certain charges before he made a decision. Tony Rackauckas filed charges against Robicheaux and Riley, painting them as sexual predators who used their good looks to prey on vulnerable women, drug them and take them back to their Newport Beach home to sexually assault them. Atty. The idea was to have something odd happening, so people who were down and out, like homeless people, would stop and they would have a chance to evangelize.. Robicheaux and Riley celebrated what seemed to be their imminent freedom on national TV last week. There is no such thing as advanced consent., Fish added, In any event, the consent arguments made by the defense do not detract from the finding made by the magistrate. 2. Previously, he also appeared on an episode of the short-lived Bravo reality show Online Dating Rituals of the American Male in April 2014. They have been aware of these accusations for a number of months, and each of them will formally deny the truth of these allegations at their first opportunity in court.. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? Please reload the page and try again. The memo and the internal divisions it highlights mark another twist in a case thats been embroiled in controversy for the last two years. / KCAL News. Did you encounter any technical issues? The woman said she told the couple she was having her period, in an effort to prevent them from initiating sex, but Robicheaux had sex with her after her clothes were taken off and Riley filmed part of it, Fish wrote. But they insisted none of the women theyd had a sexual relationship with were too inebriated to consent. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Robicheaux was charged with sexually assaulting seven women, with Riley charged with five assaults. of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs, wrote in an email to Walters in October that the directive probably intimidates Kearns from sharing necessary details about the case with prosecutors without fear of reprimand. The couple was living very happily before they were arrested. The motion indicated that an independent review indicated that some allegations could not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Grant Robicheaux, a surgeon once locally dubbed "bachelor of the year" and whose dating escapades were featured on a Bravo reality show, was originally accused by seven women of crimes including rape and sexual assault. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Surgeon was at one time the subject of Bravo reality TV show focused on his dating escapades, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. There is also video evidence suggests that there could be hundreds of other women who may not realize they were victims. If they were convicted of the charges, Dr. Robicheaux faces up to 40 years in prison. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Dr Grant Robicheaux, 38, was charged alongside his girlfriend Cerissa Laura Riley for allegedly drugging and raping two intoxicated women on Wednesday Orange County officials have said there. Attorneys for Dr. Grant Robicheaux and Cerissa Riley argued that the warrant to search the residence at 202 44th St. for drugs and DNA should be quashed and anything found during the. Grant was born in California in the year 1976. ( Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. ), First published on August 26, 2021 / 11:22 AM. Julie Garland and Mary Katherine Strickland of the Attorney Generals Office told Orange County Superior Court Judge Frank Ospino Friday that they intend to file an amended complaint. He cited the politics interjected into the case in a tense election between Spitzer and his predecessor, Tony Rackauckas. Spitzers review of the case came under scrutiny during a personnel investigation into an investigator at the district attorneys office, Jennifer Kearns. During a pretrial hearing Thursday, Deputy Atty. The district attorney says photos from the surgeons phone indicate there could be many more unidentified victims. And, they would go for months at a time. In 2014, Rileys husband left her, leaving her broken, her ex-sister-in-law said, adding, She had to learn how to live without someone shes known for years.. She joined the newspaper in 2013 as a reporter for the Daily Pilot, a Times Community News publication. Gen. Yvette Martinez said her office is still reviewing documents to ensure theyve received all evidence in the case. In an another alleged incident in October 2016, a womans loud screams spurred neighbors to call 911. In 2019, shortly after Todd Spitzer took over as the countys top prosecutor, he assigned two deputy district attorneys to conduct a review of all the evidence collected in the case. Then something changed, Dating in L.A. is exhausting, so I asked a chatbot to flirt for me. Dr. Grant Robicheaux, 40, and Cerissa Riley, 34, will now face sexual assault charges involving two of the alleged victims. [1] Robicheaux and Riley were each released on a $100,000 bail. The charges had initially involved five victims. However, prosecutors told Judge Frank Ospino on Friday that they now intend to move forward with two of the original seven women whom Grant Robicheaux, 40, was accused of sexually assaulting. The woman, described as in her 20s, woke up in the couples home during the sexual assault. [1] Following the charges, the California Medical Board opened an investigation into Robicheaux's conduct. Your email address will not be published. They also contended that no crime was committed to justify the warrant. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Check for a confirmation email, and then you're all set with MyNewsLA.com! Hannah Fry is a Metro reporter covering Orange County for the Los Angeles Times. [1] Rackauckas also stated that there were additional videos, saying, "There are a substantial number of videos. Were trying to be cooperative, but Ive got to tell you nobody from the AGs office has talked to my clients, he said during the hearing. [1], On October 2, 2016, a woman screamed for help and one of Robicheaux's neighbor called the Newport Beach Police Department. When Mr Rackauckas was overseeing the case, he incorrectly predicted that there could be as many as 1,000 victims. H-O-O-K, Woodruff explained, it meant to hook peopleto hook people on these little skits.. On Friday, the judge in the case asked the state to file a brief explaining why it plans to dismiss certain charges before he makes a decision. The following month, Spitzer's office was removed from the case and replaced by the California AG. SANTA ANA (CBSLA) In the latest chapter in an ongoing sexual assault case which has seen a series of twists and turns, an Orange County Superior Court judge Thursday approved a request to reduce the charges against a Newport Beach surgeon and his girlfriend. She grew up in Orange County and got her start as an intern at the Orange County Register. Discovery Company. The same day, the Orange County district attorneys office made a motion to dismiss the case in front of Superior Court Judge Gregory Jones. I texted her the other day, Woodruff said. Ospino indicated he intends to rule next week on the prosecutors request to pare down the charges. Its hard for them to make these reports about things that were so very humiliating in the first place then have to relive the pain, he said. He received media attention in 2018 after he was accused of drugging and sexually assaulting multiple women. The net worth of Grant is still to get unfold yet. Robicheaux, who was featured in an episode of Bravos Online Dating Rituals of the American Male in 2014, had his medical license suspended and lost his job. Police who responded to the scene found she seemed heavily intoxicated, and when they tried to question her again moments later, she did not remember the initial interview, Fish wrote. At one time, Robicheaux was charged with harming seven victims and Riley with five. They slept in these tents; they were camping; they would all sleep in those rooms with bunk bedshostels. appreciated. Todd Spitzer announces in February that he plans to drop all charges against Newport Beach doctor Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley. Spitzer has ensured the attorney general has unrestricted access to all district attorney personnel to aid in its review of the case and to answer any questions or provide clarification, she said. In court filings prosecutors have alleged Kearns omitted pertinent information from reports she wrote about the case and claimed she led a whisper campaign to exaggerate evidence in favor of prosecution. Updated But former district attorney Rackauckas denied Spitzers claim that he used the case for political gain. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much A woman purporting to be his girlfriend clearly played a significant role in disarming the victims, making them feel comfortable and safe.. She used charm and good looks to disarm women, get them intoxicated, and then rape them at Robicheauxs apartment. The request, however, was denied by Orange County Superior Court Judge Gregory Jones. But Riley and Robicheaux, an orthopedic surgeon and former reality TV show personality, arent guaranteed freedom. The judge also ordered discovery to be turned over to the alleged victims attorneys so that we could evaluate the facts of the case, which, quite frankly, we havent had access to at this stage of the game, Fell said.

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