An Orange County Superior Court judge on Wednesday granted a. The judge in the case had asked the state to file a brief explaining why it planned to dismiss certain charges before he made a decision. Todd Spitzer announces in February that he plans to drop all charges against Newport Beach doctor Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley. All Rights Reserved. The move means Dr. Grant Robicheaux, who starred on an episode of the 2014 Bravo reality show Online Dating Rituals of the American Male, and Cerissa Riley are now facing charges involving only. However, prosecutors told Judge Frank Ospino on Friday that they now intend to move forward with two of the original seven women whom Grant Robicheaux, 40, was accused of sexually assaulting. Judge scales back rape case against Newport Beach doctor and girlfriend The memo and the internal divisions it highlights mark another twist in a case thats been embroiled in controversy for the last two years. I didnt create this situation, but its my responsibility to fix it, Spitzer said. ), First published on August 26, 2021 / 11:22 AM. His workplace is just 45 miles south of Los Angeles at Newport Beach. Over the past three years of the case, the lawsuit has been subject to political infighting between the former and current district attorney. The top-to-bottom review of the case against Grant Robicheaux, 40, and Cerissa Riley, 33, ordered by Spitzer was "incomplete and contained inaccurate and misleading information," according to . Instead, Jones removed the district attorneys office from the case and ordered it be turned over to the California attorney generals office. On January 9, 2018, police searched Robicheaux's home and found firearms and large quantities of illegal drugs, including the date rape drug gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid, MDMA, and cocaine. 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. Grant Robicheaux Rape Case Sees Almost All Victims Dropped - BuzzFeed News [5] In June 2020, Orange County Superior Court Judge Gregory Jones refused to drop the charges against Robicheaux and Riley and said both Rackauckas and Spitzer had used the case against each other while campaigning. Fry most recently covered breaking news for The Times and was part of the team that was a 2020 Pulitzer finalist for its coverage of a boat fire that killed 34 people off the coast of Santa Barbara. An Orange County Superior Court judge ruled Tuesday that investigators met their burden for probable cause when they obtained a 2018 search warrant in their investigation of a Newport Beach hand surgeon and his girlfriend accused of drugging and raping multiple women. The unusual move came after a prosecutor pointed out serious proof problems with the case, Spitzer said at the time. 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. The criminal charges against the pair stem from two alleged incidents in 2016. The same day, the Orange County district attorneys office made a motion to dismiss the case in front of Superior Court Judge Gregory Jones. Supervisor, defeated Rackauckas in the DA's race in November of 2018. The case against the two began two years ago, withRobicheaux, 40, and Riley, 33, painted as sexual predators who preyed on vulnerable women. She used charm and good looks to disarm women, get them intoxicated, and then rape them at Robicheaux's apartment. OC Judge Rejects Motion to Quash Search Warrant in Doctor Rape Case Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 2. Dr. Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend Cerissa Riley will return to court to see how charges will be amended in their drug and rape case. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. The agency launched a probe into Kearns actions and, as part of that inquiry, investigators concluded the review Spitzer ordered had been lacking. Six months later, police got a similar complaint after a woman who met the couple woke up in their apartment, and started to scream, prompting a neighbor who heard her cries to call 911, according to prosecutors. Dr. Grant Robicheaux, 40, and Cerissa Riley, 34, will now face sexual assault charges involving two of the alleged victims. Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks. I feel like I can breathe again.. Please enter valid email address to continue. 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. EARLIER: Prosecutors said Friday that intend to go forward with a new complaint charging a former reality star and his girlfriend. 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. 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. City News Service , News Partner Posted Fri, Aug 20, 2021 . Discovery Company. American surgeon accused of sexual assault, Online Dating Rituals of the American Male, University of California, Irvine Medical Center, "Surgeon who appeared on reality TV dating show is accused of sexual assault and preying on drugged women", "Former Bravo Reality TV Star Surgeon Accused Of Drugging, Raping Women Gets Charges Reduced Update", "Six Women Said A Wealthy California Surgeon Raped Them. Robicheaux and Riley speak out after a prosecutor said he would drop charges. We believe there may be many unidentified victims out there, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said this week. In the early 2010s, Riley, who had a creative streak, joined Hook, a missionary performance group that put on short, religious skits. Originally Mr Robicheaux faced 16 felony charges from the victims, and Ms Riley faced five charges. Convoluted Case Against Reality Show Doctor, Girlfriend Continues I told her, Youll always be my daughter-in-law. Atty. They have both pleaded not guilty and have denied that anything that happened was not consensual. After the charges were dropped, Orange County Superior Court Judge Steven Bromberg recused himself from the case. In court filings prosecutors have alleged Kearns omitted pertinent information from reports she wrote about the case and claimed she led a whisper campaign to exaggerate evidence in favor of prosecution. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. 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! The second defendant, being a female, is key, Rackaukas said. [2] In April 2016, a woman stated that she had met Robicheaux and Riley in a local restaurant in April 2016 and that they invited her to a party. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. He along with his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley has been charged with drugging and then sexually assaulting two women. It is illegal for a man to have sex with a woman who is incapacitated to give consent., Fish also said the search warrant was not stale because, DNA doesnt change, cell phone accounts from a particular time frame do not change, etc., the focus is on the narcotics., Defense attorneys contended the time frame from July 2017 through January 2018 negate the probability that the drugs will be there. But the judge added, it was not unreasonable nor illogical for the magistrate in this case to find probable cause that those items will be in existence at the locations referenced.. In an another alleged incident in October 2016, a womans loud screams spurred neighbors to call 911. I cannot tell you if it is tens or hundreds, it is certainly more than tens." EARLIER: State prosecutors moved on Friday to dismiss several rape charges against Dr. Grant Robicheaux, who starred on an episode of the 2014 Bravo reality show Online Dating Rituals of the American Male. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? He along with his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley has been charged with drugging and then sexually assaulting two women. [Riley] was literally sleeping in the street. According to prosecutors, Mr Robicheaux and his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, lured women into their lives, drugged them and raped them. CNNs Dakin Andone contributed to this report. Early life and education The new charges will involve downsizing the cases to at least two alleged victims. She said that when she went to their home, she was so drunk she needed help to get inside and that she was given an unknown powder and pill by Robicheaux, which relaxed her and made her drowsy, Fish wrote. Your email address will not be published. At the time, then-Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said that Robicheaux and Riley would meet their victims at local bars and restaurants, drug them and then take them home and sexually assault them. At one point the California Attorney General's Office took over the case from the Orange County District Attorney's Office after it determined that District Attorney Todd Spitzer and Tony Rackauckas, a political rival and his predecessor, used the case to further their own political ambitions. Paul Bersebach/Orange County Register Via AP, Days Of Our Lives Star Victoria Grace Withdraws From Daytime Emmys Nominations After Huge Misunderstanding Regarding The Rules, Mike Shannon Dies: Emmy-Winning Broadcaster For St. Louis Cardinals Was 83, Legal Battle Over Guitarist Johnny Winters Music Heats Up, Stanley Tucci Talks About His Oral Cancer Battle: I Had A Feeding Tube For Six Months, Online Dating Rituals of the American Male, The Issues, The Stakes, Movies & TV Shows Affected, How Long It Might Last, Netflix Lands Adam McKays New Comedy Average Height, Average Build, Plumbs Another Domestic Win At $38M; Karting Past $1 Billion Global, Serious Moments For Media Give Way To Satire & Mirth; Biden & Wood Remarks. Reduced Charges For Reality Doctor, Girlfriend: Newport Rape Case The couple have pleaded not guilty and have denied any nonconsensual sex. The couple was living very happily before they were arrested. SANTA ANA (CBSLA) In the latest chapter in an ongoing sexual assault case which has seen a series of twists and turns, an Orange County Superior Court judge Thursday approved a request to reduce the charges against a Newport Beach surgeon and his girlfriend. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Both Riley and Robicheaux were freed on $100,000 bail, and return to court on Oct. 25 for an arraignment. Matt Murphy, a former prosecutor in the district attorneys office who is representing four women who have accused Robicheaux and Riley of assaulting them, said Thursday that no one from the attorney generals office has reached out to the women. The new series follows the case of a Newport Beach orthopedic surgeon and his girlfriend, who are accused of drugging and assaulting multiple women. California Woman who accused Newport Beach doctor of rape asks judge not to dismiss charges Dr. Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, who are charged with drugging and sexually. [1] The woman stated that they drank alcohol together at a Newport Beach bar until the alleged victim was unconscious. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Grant Robicheaux and Ceriss Riley appear outside of court on Wendesday, October 17, 2018. drop charges against the California couple. Robicheauxs girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, 34, was originally charged with five assaults. H-O-O-K, Woodruff explained, it meant to hook peopleto hook people on these little skits.. Spitzer announced that his office would request that charges against Robicheaux and Riley be dismissed after a review of the case found a lack of evidence and a mishandling of the case by the previous DA. 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. Robicheaux and Riley celebrated what seemed to be their imminent freedom on national TV last week. Still cant believe this happened to us, Robicheaux said. 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.. It was never a question, Robicheaux said. Robicheaux was charged with sexually assaulting seven women, while Riley was charged with five. Robicheaux, who was featured in an episode of Bravos Online Dating Rituals of the American Male in 2014, had his medical license suspended and lost his job. In May, prosecutors made a request to dramatically scale back the criminal case, . Ultimately, they determined there was insufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. They also contended that no crime was committed to justify the warrant. Ultimately, they determined there was insufficient evidence. Its hard for them to make these reports about things that were so very humiliating in the first place then have to relive the pain, he said. Robicheaux 'Rape Doctor' Case Gets True Crime Podcast Treatment Dr. Grant Robicheaux, 39, and Cerissa Riley, 32, of Newport Beach, appeared Friday in a taped interview on ABC's "Good Morning America." "I feel like I finally woke up from a bad nightmare . She said the investigators reached their conclusions about the case review while looking into alleged misconduct by a district attorneys office employee who was involved in the Robicheaux case and based their findings on a small part of the case review. UPDATE: An Orange County judge has approved a request by prosecutors to reduce charges against a Newport Beach hand surgeon and his girlfriend, who have been accused of drugging and raping multiple women. Grant Robicheaux - Wikipedia 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 crimes including rape and sexual assault. Grant Robicheaux, 40, and girlfriend Cerissa Riley, 34, were accused of drugging and sexually assaulting multiple women. Please reload the page and try again. Both Cerissa and Chad came from deeply religious Christian families, according to Woodruff. I just feel terrible for the women who had the courage to come forward and give their evidence to the authorities in this case, the former DA said.