Cadet pleads not guilty at court-martial

[AnOhioan]

At the U.S. Coast Guard Academy...Cadet Webster Smith, 22, pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of rape, sodomy, extortion and assault as his court-martial began before a jury of Coast Guard officers. It was the first court-martial of its kind in the 130-year history of the academy.

Smith faced misconduct accusations from several female cadets. Pretrial testimony in the case centered on several nights of heavy drinking, including one in June 2005 in Annapolis, Md. Friends have testified that the woman who accused Smith of raping her "his on-again, off-again girlfriend" passed out and was enraged the next morning when she learned she and Smith had had sex.


Defense attorneys counter that the couple had a lengthy sexual relationship that continued until the week before the alleged rape and resumed the semester after. The alleged rape was reported after attorneys say the consensual sexual relationship resumed.

The trial is also expected to include undertones of race relations. Smith is black, his accusers are white and defense attorneys say the women conspired against him.

More at http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-06-19-cadet_x.htm?csp=34

[saigon68]

1. good thing its the 21st century

[izzie]

2. Nice way for this stupid kid to start his life, if he did it.

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