More bad news for the two NYPD officers accused of raping a woman they were called to help. Though Kenneth Moreno and Franklin Mata were acquitted of criminal rape charges on Thursday, they could still be found guilty of the crime in in a civil court. The anonymous accuser has filed a $57 million suit against the two officers, though the fact that she lost the criminal case may hurt her. “She still has to prove she was raped. This is not a good day for the civil suit because jurors will know there was an acquittal,” said defense lawyer Paul Shechtman. And it may give the defense some leverage in pushing for a settlement with a lower payout. But! The burden of proof in civil trials in much lower, so that may work in her favor.
