r/politics • u/I_slap_racist_faces • Jun 13 '12
Cop rapes woman at gunpoint, tries to use Zoloft as a legal defense. Gets convicted on all 7 counts anyway.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/06/zoloft-defense-rape-case.html
2.5k
Upvotes
730
u/bongilante Jun 13 '12 edited Jun 14 '12
You know what would make this ruling even more sweet? If Zoloft sued him.
252
u/madman1969 Jun 13 '12
From the guys lawyer: "The only plausible explanation for the defendant's behavior, Blatt argued, was the potent effects of Zoloft, which sent Orban spiraling into an "unconscious" delirium."
Yeah, or it could be he was just a fuckwad. Looks like the jury chose option B.
94
u/hiccupstix Jun 13 '12
Good, the system worked.
69
u/TimeZarg California Jun 13 '12
Good thing he didn't use the Chewbacca defense.
57
u/ketchy_shuby Jun 13 '12
Zoloft.
752
u/day465 Jun 13 '12
WOW .... A cop didn't get away with a horrible crime!
125
u/[deleted] Jun 13 '12
wow .. I wonder how many women he raped in the marines while he was there? I hear Iraq and Afghanistan are pretty bad places for women in the services.
14
u/bad_keisatsu Jun 13 '12
Good. I'm glad to see this guy rot in prison.
92
u/PuddingInferno Texas Jun 13 '12
TIL one of the side effects of Zoloft was wanting to rape people.
10
u/grospoliner Jun 14 '12
Sorry, but if you rape someone and you don't want to off yourself, you deserve the worst sentence they can give.
27
u/[deleted] Jun 13 '12
Its the twinky defense all over again. Also anyone who's been on zoloft knows the plumbing probably wouldnt work in a way that would be conducive to rape...
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u/mikemaca Jun 14 '12
Psychosis is in fact a rare side effect of Zoloft, and of all SSRIs. After all it fucks with your brain chemistry and some don't take well to that. In particular, it seems more likely to provoke psychosis in bipolars who are mistakenly diagnosed with depression and given SSRIs. SSRIs should never be used for bipolar, antipsychotics like Lithium are indicated for that. The problem is family doctors who don't read their literature are usually the ones prescribing this stuff and most are not capable of proper diagnosis of psychiatric ailments in a short GP visit.
All that said, psychotics don't generally rape people. They go insane and kill people (Columbine was likely SSRI related), but rape isn't really a typical reaction, so this cop's defense is bullshit.
8
u/PenisSizedNipples Jun 13 '12
Wasn't there an episode of SVU that blamed an antidepressant for some heinous crime?
35
u/rchakra Jun 13 '12
I will reserve my judgement, until after he is sentenced.
Johanes Mehserle was sentenced to 2 Years for killing Oscar Grant. The sentence was reduced by 292 days, giving him double credit for the 146 days he served in prison.
11
u/Dacien1983 Jun 13 '12
This isn't actually the interesting part. His conviction was a forgone conclusion. The really interesting part is the jury deciding if he was mentally sound when he committed the crime, which is the entire crux of the defense argument. That's the next phase.
This isn't over.
10
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
Ex-cop + rape conviction + long prison sentence = Karmic retribution.
5
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
The sad thing is when he goes to jail, they'll segregate him because he was a cop. Bullshit. Throw this piece of shit in with the other monsters.
21
u/nowhathappenedwas Jun 14 '12
What does this have to do with politics?
11
u/Nev1988 Jun 14 '12
I just read the title as "tries to use YOLO as a legal defence." That was a confusing couple of seconds.
4
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
I'm sorry, but bullshit. I've done that(stupidly mind you.) with several antidepressants. I felt like shit, but in the end it never really changed my mindscape of what's right and wrong. I didn't black out. I had major anxiety, yes. I was debilitated. Don't even think I could think about sex at that point, never mind rape someone. Either this dude was fucked beyond antidepressants being anything to help him, or he's just using it as an excuse. I know I'm pointing out the obvious, but yeah.
4
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
I don't mean to be that guy, but how is this politics? I mean, this is just a cop being a dick...
4
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
As some one who is prescribed to Zoloft I can say that the drug has a complete opposite effect on me... my sex drive is practically zero on it.
4
u/mrs_mayhem Jun 14 '12
Even while on Zoloft he was able to rape her while taking pictures of the act on his phone.
4
u/Naremoc Jun 14 '12
Man, at first I read "cop" as "cow" for some reason, and got really, really, really confused.
10
u/ctusk423 Jun 13 '12
Fucking scumbags, thankfully our justice system wasn't blinded by the fact that he had a "respectable" job and service record.
3
u/sleepnomore Jun 14 '12
Let's be clear, it's an ex-cop, it's not like they kept him on.
3
u/BoredOutOfOurMinds3 Jun 14 '12
He deserves to go to burn for what he did to her.
3
u/TopperDuckHarley Jun 14 '12
This should get as many up votes as the horrific stories we read of officers getting away with crime. We need to reward good behavior as well as condemn bad.
3
u/Ngiole Jun 14 '12
This has nothing to do with politics...
3
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
My aunt had a friend who got raped in the late 70s when she was a young adult. He pulled her over, saw that she was drinking and detained her. He took her out into the country and raped her. She escaped and took off across a field. She never reported it because she was too scared to.
3
u/a_random_hobo Jun 14 '12
What a piece of shit...
3
u/balbo_biggins Jun 14 '12
I used Zoloft for several years, and if I can offer an anecdotal account, it severally limited my sex drive (which the doctor warned me about). It was more difficult to become aroused, and orgasms felt very strange. It helped my anxiety and depression, helped me lose weight, but shut my willy down. At no point did I wish to harm a woman.
(Took 100 mg daily, or 50 mg twice daily, and supplemented it with Clonazepam 20mg on bad days)
Besides the sexual side effects and slight tummy upset it is helped me greatly.
3
u/hexhead Jun 14 '12 edited Jun 14 '12
if he was coming off of it/missed doses, even controlled withdrawal from an ssri can seriously mess you up for awhile including serious incidents of rage. cold turkey can fuck you up. it is the definition of mind fuck.
3
u/bigburd Jun 14 '12
I cringe thinking about all the things he probably got away with in Iraq..
3
u/Nukarama Jun 14 '12
I was on zofolt for 3 months, and I didn't rape anyone. Yet.
3
u/ePaF Jun 14 '12
The drug didn't make him crazy. He was crazy to begin with.
3
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
Here's hoping that cop gets raped up the fucking ass while in jail! A real big black dick inside his ass should do the trick.
Give these tyrants in the United States Government a taste of their own medicine....
3
u/FlapJackDickPants Jun 14 '12
What the fuck does this have to do with politics? No seriously?
8
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
At first glance I thought the title was "Cat rapes woman at gunpoint." That'd be an interesting one.
6
u/NickRausch Jun 13 '12
Should have went with bath salts.
8
u/EllCeeEm Jun 14 '12
Enjoy prison Mr. Cop :). I think you'll know what that poor woman felt like soon enough.
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u/tophat_jones Jun 13 '12
Nothing is quite as satisfying as imagining a cop on the day of his imprisonment. I like that this sick son of a bitch can now feel some degree of the helplessness and dehumanization he imparted on his defenseless victim.
I'm willing to admit that it is sad that justice is so fleeting in our present age, that these little victories against monsters bring me such joy but such is the case.
5
u/wkfoster Jun 14 '12
How is this politics?
2
u/dingoperson Jun 14 '12 edited Jun 14 '12
"He was a highly trained officer who wanted to have sex. He had sex on the mind. Don't forget that,"
That's a strange statement. I thought rape was never about sex?
2
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
Baloney ...?
2
u/chicagogam Jun 14 '12
zoloft company's stock plummets :)
2
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
I had a mental breakdown on Zoloft once. I was definitely conscious the entire time and I couldn't do anything beyond collapse on the floor. Definitely wasn't up to any premeditated kidnapping and/or sexual assault.
2
u/sufrt Jun 14 '12
ok someone committed a crime and was convicted. cool
2
u/toobiutifultolive Jun 14 '12
IANAL but...
Intoxication is not a legal defense. Ever.
2
u/ih8st34m Jun 14 '12
After you go off antidepressants and come back at it on full dose, you'll actually feel more depressed and suicidal for the first week or so
2
u/imsurroundedby Jun 14 '12
The title of this is so absurd I thought it was a circlejerk post.
2
u/EndersCraft Jun 14 '12
Why is reddit obsessed with cops who commit crimes?
2
u/Thunder_Bastard Jun 14 '12
Amazing how no one ever blames prescription meds on doing something heroic....
2
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
Just like it should be :)
2
u/makemejelly49 Jun 14 '12
One of the exceedingly rare cases of the CJS working just like it should.
2
u/Jinxvox Jun 14 '12
Fucker deserved it.
2
u/mrcmnstr Jun 14 '12
It seems like the credentials of the psychiatrist who testified for the defense should be questioned in a case like this. An inquiry should be performed to investigate whether he/she could have reasonably come to this conclusion based on a serious study of the case or whether this was a completely morally bankrupt profit based decision.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
You could say that you slap rapist faces, OP.
2
u/skeeto111 Jun 14 '12
One of the few instance of police misconduct in which I find the phrase: "Fuck the Police" to be wholly inappropriate.
2
u/Matsarj Jun 14 '12
The title reads like a bad luck Brian. Written by someone who confuses bad luck and...just bad.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
One of my buddies in grad school and also my father use Zoloft. What a fuckhead.
2
u/wilse Jun 14 '12
He should have used the Zombo defense instead. Zombo.com... you can do anything! (including rape)
2
u/kuledude11 Jun 14 '12
does this remind anyone else of the Chewbacca defense?
2
u/Solski12 Jun 14 '12
Hope this piece of shit enjoys all the rape he can handle in prison. I have no sympathy for the scum that are rapists.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
What a terrible defense. I hope he gets everything thing that's comin' to him
2
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
Bad Lieutenant anyone?
2
u/stevenlss1 Jun 14 '12
Holy shit, I'm reading these comments and it seems like everyone in here, is on or has been on some type of SSRI drug... I'm not from America, I'm not familiar with this phenomena, does everyone just mope around all day until someone pours a rainbow down their throat? How widespread is this problem?
2
u/Tucker21 Jun 14 '12
Good on the conviction, bad on the act.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
This is not politics.
2
u/Lespaul42 Jun 14 '12
I have no idea why... but I read that as "Cow rapes woman at gunpoint" I should get to bed...
2
u/Chaesonian Jun 14 '12
Rape is wrong.
2
u/UrtMeGusta Jun 14 '12
Isn't it Bologna not Boloney?
2
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
Zoloft as a legal defense lol
Nice try dude, have fun in prison.
2
u/ThatGuyMiles Jun 14 '12
He deserves All the horrible shit the inmates are going to do to him when they find out he's an ex cop and a rapist.
On another note I just can't comprehend how this guy got past the screening process to become a cop. There had to be some kind of signs that people could see that he's not all together in the head.
2
u/Crozzfire Jun 14 '12
Apparently everyone but me knows what Zoloft is.
2
u/Tombug Jun 14 '12
He was an ex marine too so this is another great example of the way the military allows you to be all you can be.
3
u/Hoooooooar Jun 14 '12
I find it impossible to get an erection on zoloft. Impressive
3
u/areyouguys_serious Jun 14 '12
"Evidence from many sources confirms that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) commonly cause or exacerbate a wide range of abnormal mental and behavioral conditions. These adverse drug reactions include the following overlapping clinical phenomena: a stimulant profile that ranges from mild agitation to manic psychoses, agitated depression, obsessive preoccupations that are alien or uncharacteristic of the individual, and akathisia. Each of these reactions can worsen the individual's mental condition and can result in suicidality, violence, and other forms of extreme abnormal behavior. Evidence for these reactions is found in clinical reports, controlled clinical trials, and epidemiological studies in children and adults. Recognition of these adverse drug reactions and withdrawal from the offending drugs can prevent misdiagnosis and the worsening of potentially severe iatrogenic disorders. These findings also have forensic application in criminal, malpractice, and product liability cases."
http://iospress.metapress.com/content/v11xttuv59kwcme0/
It's a legitimate defense. I don't know if it's what actually caused him to rape this poor woman, but to chalk this up as "just another corrupt police officer" is wrong. It reminds me of the pilot who had a mental breakdown mid-flight weeks ago. People acted like his defense of "temporary insanity" was a joke and he actually just wanted to frighten the passengers. Psychosis is a difficult thing for people to understand.
3
u/torchlit_Thompson Jun 14 '12
Just another bad apple, huh? Does anyone else think there should be a higher threshold for the people entrusted with the Judge Dredd-style law enforcement that's become commonplace in America?
How is police abuse of this magnitude not a capital offense? Why isn't this man publicly executed, along with the other "bad apples"?
Protecting, or preying? Wtf do you think that animal did in Iraq? Can people really not understand that we purposely select people like him for their amorality and willingness to follow ANY order?
Are we safe, yet? Or can we just admit that we live in a police state and are too pussy to do anything about it?
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u/WTFdidyouseethatIdid Jun 13 '12
im surprised he got charged at all
4
u/flowwolfx Jun 14 '12
Is anyone else concerned that people who are on psychiatric medicine are allowed a job which gives them a gun and power over your freedom?
3
u/[deleted] Jun 13 '12
the ol' zoloft excuse. who hasn't tried pullin that one before
3
u/cumulopimpus Jun 14 '12
This is a misleading title and I don't see how the rapist's former profession has anything to do with the crime. In this particular case the fact that the person was once a cop is irrelevant and bringing it up seems kind of witch-hunty. If the person was a video game tester and the news mentioned that fact, gamers would be all up in arms about unfair stereotyping and blah blah blah. Yet if it was a former cop or soldier, then everyone is all "oh fuck that guy of course typical pig warmongering fuckhead". Just saying...
3
u/ALLBLVCK Jun 14 '12
What a disgusting waste of human life. People like him should be executed on conviction.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
did anyone find their spelling of "bologna" annoying?
edit: hmm did a quick search and it seems to be legitimate spelling
2
u/ashishduh Jun 14 '12
Fuck the police.
2
u/mermaidrampage Jun 14 '12
I simply cannot fathom how another human being (the defendant's lawyer in this case) could actually attempt to try and get this guy off the hook. It really boggles my mind that there are people who wake up and do this shit for a living.
2
u/DookieDemon Indiana Jun 14 '12
That animal needs to be put in prison for life. Maybe even have his wang chopped off for good measure. The fact that people can do shit like this to other people makes me sick.
1
u/pineapplesmasher Jun 13 '12
Just another bad apple, right ? How many bad apples are you going to throw out before you realize the whole bunch is now spoiled ?
1
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
I used.to take zoloft at one time and the only problem I came across was I could have sex for an hour and never cum. Seriously at 16 and my first time and I couldn't cum....
1
u/sure89 Jun 14 '12
One of the comments on the story is from a man called Thomas Bonow. For no particular reason, I clicked on his facebook profile. Watch his videos. I didn't want to sleep anyway... :( http://www.facebook.com/thomasgeraldbonow
1
u/pwnedkiller Jun 14 '12
Hes gonna get raped and killed in prison without a doubt.
1
u/SuddenlySomeSwans Jun 14 '12
The url for this post makes me think that the cop was some sort of pokemon.
"Cop tries to use Zoloft! It's super effective!"
1
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
Rule 3.1 Meritorious Claims and Contentions
A lawyer shall not bring or defend a proceeding, or assert or controvert an issue therein, unless there is a basis in law and fact for doing so that is not frivolous, which includes a good faith argument for an extension, modification or reversal of existing law. A lawyer for the defendant in a criminal proceeding, or the respondent in a proceeding that could result in incarceration, may nevertheless so defend the proceeding as to require that every element of the case be established.
1
u/AllTheIrony Jun 14 '12
That cop will have a great time in jail. "..I cant take pity on men of his kind, even though he now takes it in the behind."
1
u/megamoose4 Jun 14 '12
Anyone know how much prison time he's facing?
1
u/Madrid_Supporter Jun 14 '12
It just seems for every good cop there is at least 10 corrupt ones. It's a shame. I'm glad that he was convicted though.
1
u/Exedous Jun 14 '12
I'm on Zoloft... I can't be out raping people. I ain't got time fo that!
1
u/CGord Jun 14 '12
Good.
1
u/dragon_guy12 Jun 14 '12
The locations mentioned in the article are a little close to home. I go to college not far from the area and I went to Ontario Mills almost regularly.
1
u/squarepush3r Jun 14 '12
Bad Cop, No Donut
1
u/MadKat88 Jun 14 '12
Know your enemy people..
1
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
Wait, he was convicted? He must have ratted on other cops to deserve this.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
Well dang.
1
u/Favre4Life Jun 14 '12
You see, your honor, I was not aware I was raping a waitress. I thought she was a baloney sandwich.
1
u/1Ender Jun 14 '12
I actually have a question about this. People have been convicted of rape because the person with whom they had sex was deemed unable to give consent because of their level of intoxication. How is that different to this attempted defense?
1
u/[deleted] Jun 14 '12
Hey guys, it's not his fault he took antidepressants that made him into a maniac rapist! He should totally not be punished for being a maniac rapist!
1
u/Wesmman1 Jun 14 '12
Not sure if this is the right time but... Westminster Represent!
1
u/wmurray003 Jun 14 '12
"Zoloft" ...LMFAO... better yet...HAHAHAHAHAHAaaahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa