WORCESTER, Mass.—The second trial of a
former Massachusetts police officer accused of raping a woman has started.
A jury in Worcester Superior Court jury on
Tuesday heard opening statements in the trial of 39-year-old Jason Briddon of
Westminster, a former part-time officer in Rutland. He's charged with rape and
assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in the alleged assault on a 27-year-old
Worcester woman in May 2007.
Briddon's first trial ended in a mistrial in
March 2009.
He was sentenced to 10 to 12 years in prison
in 2010 after being convicted of unrelated rape charges.
The Telegram & Gazette (
http://bit.ly/L83Ehh) reports that prosecutors say Briddon offered the woman a
ride home from a bar but instead raped her.
Briddon's lawyer says there is no evidence
of rape.