"O.C. Swingers" Is Your New Favorite Chill-Inducing Podcast Defense attorney Philip Cohen, who is representing Robicheaux, declined to comment on the memo. Judge dismisses some charges in rape case against California doctor and View more / View fewer Facts of Grant Robicheaux. Todd Spitzer sought to dismiss rape charges against a Newport Beach surgeon and his girlfriend last year based on a review of evidence in the case that a team of senior investigators in his office later found to be flawed, according to an internal memo. Superior Court Judge Gregory Jones refused District Attorney Todd Spitzer's request to dismiss the case outright. Back in September of 2018, Robicheaux and Riley were charged with 17 counts each, including rape by use of drugs, oral copulation by anesthesia, assault with intent to commit sexual offense and possession of a controlled substance for sale. The district attorney says photos from the surgeons phone indicate there could be many more unidentified victims. Rackauckas claimed investigators had about 1,000 of these videos on the suspects' phones. D.A.'s office investigator Jennifer Kearns alleges in the lawsuit filed in Orange County Superior Court, that Spitzer colluded with Grant Robicheaux and Cerissa Riley's defense attorneys while. 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. Updated Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Grant Robicheaux, left, and Cerissa Riley, the Newport Beach doctor and his girlfriend accused of drugging and raping multiple women, arrive at Orange County Superior Court Harbor Justice Center . I never made a single decision or statement about the case for any political motive, Rackauckas said in the statement to CNN last week. In January, police obtained a search warrant for the couples residence and found large quantities of illegal narcotics, including date-rape drugs, ecstasy, and cocaine, along with unregistered firearms, high quantity magazines, and some assault weapons, prosecutors said. Robicheaux and Riley, a former schoolteacher, were initially charged in 2018 by Spitzers predecessor, Tony Rackauckas. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Hannah Fry is a Metro reporter covering Orange County for the Los Angeles Times. 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.. At one time, Robicheaux was charged with harming seven victims and Riley with five. Swingers, journalist Justine Harman reexamines the case of Newport Beach surgeon Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend Cerissa Riley. Please reload the page and try again. Internal memo criticizes O.C. district attorney's review of Robicheaux [1], Robicheaux appeared in 2014 on the Bravo show Online Dating Rituals of the American Male, which followed his search for a girlfriend. MyNewsLA.com wont sell your information and you can unsubscribe at any time. 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. [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. However, in February of 2020, new O.C. 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. City News Service , News Partner Posted Fri, Aug 20, 2021 . Both Robicheaux and Riley have previously pleaded not guilty to the charges and remain free on bail. Last month, Orange County Superior Court Judge Steven Bromberg dismissed charges related to allegations lodged by two of the seven women after they told prosecutors they had been dragged through the mud by the Orange County district attorneys office and no longer wanted to participate in the case. The poverty level is really bad out there. Judge drops nearly all charges against reality TV star surgeon who 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. Grant Robicheaux and Ceriss Riley appear outside of court on Wendesday, October 17, 2018. drop charges against the California couple. Usually Hooks performances were local, but in the early 2010s Riley and her ex-husband made several missionary trips abroad to Budapest, Hungary. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. When Mr Rackauckas was overseeing the case, he incorrectly predicted that there could be as many as 1,000 victims. In the early 2010s, Riley, who had a creative streak, joined Hook, a missionary performance group that put on short, religious skits. And they said Riley played an important role. After the charges were dropped, Orange County Superior Court Judge Steven Bromberg recused himself from the case. He earned his medical degree from Louisiana State University in 2007 and did his residency at UC Irvine Medical Center. Reduced Charges For Reality Doctor, Girlfriend: Newport Rape Case New DA says he wants to drop charges against Robicheaux and Riley. Grant is not married yet but he is in a relationship with his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley. 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. A prosecutor told an Orange County Superior Court judge. Riley gave the woman a drink and the trio went to a bedroom, where the woman blacked out and later woke up next to Robicheaux, Fish wrote. During a pretrial hearing Thursday, Deputy Atty. Dist. Weeks later, Bromberg recused himself from the case following allegations that he had mistreated defense attorneys and prosecutors during a heated court hearing. [1] Robicheaux and Riley were each released on a $100,000 bail. The request, however, was denied by Orange County Superior Court Judge Gregory Jones. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. A woman, or any participant, can limit or withdraw his/her consent at any time, Fish wrote. Robicheaux and Riley told Good Morning America they participated in a swingers lifestyle. However, there are a total of 13 accusers, some of whom could be used by prosecutors as further evidence of a pattern of behavior. (Image credit: Audiochuck) By The Editors. Gen. Yvette Martinez said her office is still reviewing documents to ensure theyve received all evidence in the case. Robicheaux and Riley celebrated what seemed to be their imminent freedom on national TV last week. All Rights Reserved. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Check for a confirmation email, and then you're all set with MyNewsLA.com! Robicheaux and his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, stood accused of multiple rapes in Newport Beach, Calif. By dismissing rape charges against them, prosecutors will concentrate on a 2017 sexual assault charge against the two. Both Cerissa and Chad came from deeply religious Christian families, according to Woodruff. 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. August 26, 2021 / 11:22 AM A judge in Orange County, California, has approved a request to drop almost all counts against a surgeon and his girlfriend who have been accused of drugging and raping multiple women. According to the state attorney general's office, at least three victims said they no longer wanted to partake in the case because they were "dragged through the mud" but the Orange County district attorney's office. He received media attention in 2018 after he was accused of drugging and sexually assaulting multiple women. EARLIER: Prosecutors said Friday that intend to go forward with a new complaint charging a former reality star and his girlfriend. Fish noted that according to the police reports, illicit drugs were alleged to be at the residence in April of 2016 and again in July of 2017 and that Robicheaux himself said the home was used as a place to `party and sleep it off., One woman told police she met Robicheaux and Riley while drinking at a bar in Newport Beach and that despite being an experienced drinker, she became intoxicated beyond the level she expected given what she drank, according to the ruling. The case was reassigned to the California Attorney General's Office last year after O.C. 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. CBS Los Angeles reported that Grant Robicheaux, who was once the subject of a Bravo reality show for his dating escapades, was originally accused by seven women of rape and sexual assault. Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy. Convoluted Case Against Reality Show Doctor, Girlfriend Continues They also seized Robicheauxs phone and uncovered more than 1,000 videos of sexual encounters with women, some of whom may have been too intoxicated to consent. / KCAL News. Orange County judge grants motion to dismiss charges for 2 alleged Ultimately, they determined there was insufficient evidence. Rackauckas said the victims in video appeared highly intoxicated, "beyond the ability to consent or resist," and that the women were barely responsive to sexual advances by Robicheaux and Riley. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Before her arrest, Riley worked three different jobssales agent by day, dance instructor by night, and substitute teacher when she could pick up a shift. Required fields are marked *. Former Bravo Reality TV Star Surgeon Accused Of Drugging - Yahoo Still cant believe this happened to us, Robicheaux said. The couple were charged of assault with intent to commit a sexual offense. Newport Beach Hand Surgeon Rape Case Ruling Expected Next Week Robicheaux is currently charged with sexually assaulting five women and Riley is charged with three alleged victims. 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. Surgeon and his girlfriend accused of drugging and raping up to a dozen A woman purporting to be his girlfriend clearly played a significant role in disarming the victims, making them feel comfortable and safe.. A judge approved a request on Thursday to drop most of the case against a man and his girlfriend who were accused of drugging and raping multiple women, paring it down to charges related to just two alleged victims.. 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 . Robicheaux 'Rape Doctor' Case Gets True Crime Podcast Treatment A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium?