Jurors and spectators in a crowded downtown courtroom Monday heard closing arguments in the trial of 13-year officer Anthony Rollins.
Rollins is accused of raping or forcing sexual contact on six women from 2006 to 2009, as well as official misconduct as a police officer and criminal use of a computer. Rollins denied that he had any sexual contact with three of the women and that what happened with the other three was consensual.
Deputy District Attorney Sharon Marshall summed up the state's case against Rollins. Then Rollins' attorney Susan Carney attacked testimony from the alleged victims.
As with much of the evidence presented during the 12-day trial, the attorneys went through the charges case by case, victim by victim.
Marshall at one point focused on Rollins' position of authority.
She said one of the women, in her statement, spoke for all of the alleged victims regarding their feelings toward the officer.
" 'He has so much power, he could cause problems for me,' " said Marshall, reading the woman's words projected on a screen in court.
"When somebody stands in front of you with a badge and a gun, you're supposed to respect that," Marshall said. "He's on official duty every time this happens."
Turning to face Rollins later, Marshall raised her voice almost to a shout, saying he was so arrogant he thought his alleged victim wouldn't go to police.
"This was all soft, subtle power abuse, situational force," Marshall said.
Carney said Rollins loved being an officer.
"He was handsome, a dashing figure in his uniform," Carney said.
Carney implored the jurors to look at each case separately.
"It's a credibility contest," Carney said. "It is literally a 'she said, he said' situation."
Case by case, Carney poked at specific issues with testimony from the women and the detectives who investigated Rollins. She also said the jurors should believe Rollins' testimony.
"Anthony Rollins took the stand. He didn't have to do that," Carney said. "He admitted he sinned. That was his word. A sin is not a crime."
Using her chance to give a rebuttal of Carney's statement, Marshall called the defense attorney's argument regarding the women's credibility insulting.
"When you have nothing, you have to throw out something and see if it sticks," Marshall told the jury before ripping into Carney's points.
"Ladies and gentleman, tell these women you heard them when they said no," Marshall said, finishing.
Important warning about e-mails purporting to be from the adn.com staff.