crimes and misdemeanors

NYPD Rape Wasn’t Quite Rape, Says Lawyer

According to an attorney for Michael Pena, the NYPD officer charged with raping a woman at gunpoint (or in his words, “cheating with another girl”) while off-duty last year, the cop did “thrust” in the woman’s direction, but failed to have intercourse with her, and so he’s not guilty. “This was a terrible crime, an unforgivable crime,” the lawyer said in his opening statement, “but it does not rise to the level of the charges.” Putting aside how awful that sounds, the victim’s testimony, witnesses, and DNA evidence might still swing this one the other way.

NYPD Rape Wasn’t Quite Rape, Says Lawyer