Fairfax County Cop Convicted of Forcibly Sodomizing Ex-Girlfriend

Fairfax County Cop Convicted of Forcibly Sodomizing Ex-Girlfriend
As we've been saying for years, the Fairfax County Police are out of control

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Biological fluids issue raised in rape trial of ex-Rutland officer

 WORCESTER — The defense for Jason D. Briddon, a former part-time police officer in Rutland, tried to punch holes into the allegations of rape against Mr. Briddon, questioning an investigator on the case about why certain biological fluids weren't collected.

But the prosecution countered that the alleged crime scene changed so much it would have been difficult to collect any blood or seminal fluid.

Mr. Briddon, 39, is accused of violently raping a now 32-year-old woman on or about May 1, 2007 in a William Street building after he allegedly gave her a ride home from Ralph's Chadwick Square Diner on Grove Street.

Defense lawyer David R. Yannetti asked Worcester Police Lt. William P. O'Connor in Worcester Superior Court today if the room where the rape allegedly took place was ever processed for seminal fluid or blood. The room was never processed.

He also questioned why blood on the alleged victim's jacket was never processed to either show it was her blood, blood of Mr. Briddon or from someone else.

If the jacket was tested, it could have been discovered that the blood of another person was on it, Mr. Yannetti said in his cross examination of the lieutenant.

Assistant District Attorney Cheryl R. Riddle asked Lt. O'Connor if the room where the alleged attack occurred was processed for fluids.

The Crime Scene Unit was called to the scene, the lieutenant testified, but it was deemed the room has been changed and nothing of value to the case would be gained by processing the room.

At the time of the alleged rape, the woman said she did not know her assailant, but believed he was a police officer, possibly a Worcester officer.

The woman identified her alleged attacker as Mr. Briddon, who at the time was a part-time Rutland police officer. The identification came after the woman was shown a photograph array.

Mr. Briddon is facing charges of rape and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and is now on trial for a second time in the case.

His first trial ended in a mistrial in 2009 when a jury was unable to render a unanimous verdict. Mr. Briddon has denied raping the woman.

In 2010, Mr. Briddon was sentenced to 10 to 12 years in state prison after being convicted of unrelated charges of beating and raping a prostitute in Worcester in 2008.

Mr. Briddon's trial is scheduled to resume Tuesday