2. Rackauckas said he believed the womens complaints based on the evidence he had. [1] He is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon. After the charges were dropped, Orange County Superior Court Judge Steven Bromberg recused himself from the case. A Warner Bros. ), First published on August 26, 2021 / 11:22 AM. 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. Spitzer, who had accused his predecessor of overreaching in the case to bolster his reelection campaign, sought to dismiss all charges against the couple. An attorney representing the couple declined to comment Friday. This is not Cerissa, Sheryl Woodruff, Rileys former mother-in-law said. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Over the past three years of the case, the lawsuit has been subject to political infighting between the former and current district attorney. Then the case took a bizarre turn last week when a new prosecutor said he would drop charges against the California couple citing insufficient evidence and claiming the previous DA used the case for political gain. I texted her the other day, Woodruff said. Supervisor, defeated Rackauckas in the DA's race in November of 2018. Your email address will not be published. A Wealthy Surgeon Accused Of Drugging And Raping Women Is No Longer [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. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Surgeon was at one time the subject of Bravo reality TV show focused on his dating escapades, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. [1], In 2018, Robicheaux and his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, were charged with drugging and raping multiple women in Newport Beach, California. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. Internal memo criticizes O.C. district attorney's review of Robicheaux 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.. 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. [1], Robicheaux appeared in 2014 on the Bravo show Online Dating Rituals of the American Male, which followed his search for a girlfriend. Police who responded to the scene found she seemed heavily intoxicated, and when they tried to question her again moments later, she did not remember the initial interview, Fish wrote. Did you encounter any technical issues? Instead, Jones removed the district attorneys office from the case and ordered it be turned over to the California attorney generals office. Orange County Superior Court Judge Jonathan Fish rejected arguments from defense attorneys that sexual activity between the defendants and three women cited in the search warrant was consensual and that no crime was committed. The couple was living very happily before they were arrested. Attorneys for Dr. Grant Robicheaux and Cerissa Riley argued that the warrant to search the residence at 202 44th St. for drugs and DNA should be quashed and anything found during the resulting search be deemed inadmissible. Thats unlikely to improve anyones mental health, Opinion: Why my Taiwanese American identity has become more complicated, 7 hospitalized after driver in stolen car runs red light in San Bernardino, police say, Barstow police investigating after officer caught on video hitting man with a baton, Northern California town on edge after second fatal stabbing in a week. The poverty level is really bad out there. 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. The case against the two began two years ago, withRobicheaux, 40, and Riley, 33, painted as sexual predators who preyed on vulnerable women. The couple has been charged with more than half a dozen crimes, including rape by the use of drugs, assault with intent to commit a sexual offense and possession of a controlled substance for sale. Atty. Early life and education In 2019, shortly after Spitzer took over as the countys top prosecutor, he assigned two deputy district attorneys to conduct a review of all the evidence collected in the case. The couple have pleaded not guilty and have denied any nonconsensual sex. Prosecutors from the attorney generals office announced in May that they wanted to focus the case on just one woman. Please enter valid email address to continue. She joined the newspaper in 2013 as a reporter for the Daily Pilot, a Times Community News publication. 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! Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The memo and the internal divisions it highlights mark another twist in a case thats been embroiled in controversy for the last two years. Prosecutors say a California dance instructor was one half of a serial date-rape team who would make targets feel comfortable and safe and then help her doctor boyfriend drug and sexually assault them. We are conducting a very thorough and independent review of the case, Martinez said. All allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend Cerissa Riley, the attorneys said. Ospino also told attorneys that he wants to hold a preliminary hearing by the end of the year to determine whether the case, which has faced repeated delays, can proceed to trial. Former reality TV show doctor Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend Cerissa Riley speak out about the charges that were dropped after an investigation by the n. AboutPressCopyrightContact. 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 . Reduced Charges For Reality Doctor, Girlfriend: Newport Rape Case [1] The woman immediately contacted the police the next morning to report that she had been assaulted and a subsequent test of her blood showed multiple controlled substances in her body. But instead of granting that motion, as many expected, the judge took it under submission and allowed more time for all parties to present more facts, Fell said. The Times reviewed a redacted copy of the memo, which was filed in court Thursday. She was a beautiful girl., Prosecutors said she and Robicheauxan orthopedic surgeon once named Orange Countys Most Eligible Bachelor, who used the alias InGoodHands on a Bravo series about online datingused their good looks to lure women back to their home.'. 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. Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks. In court filings, prosecutors have alleged that 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. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? 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. appreciated. But Riley and Robicheaux, an orthopedic surgeon and former reality TV show personality, arent guaranteed freedom. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. A previous motion indicated that an independent review indicated that some allegations could not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. [1] Robicheaux and Riley were each released on a $100,000 bail. One alleged victim told Ospino she was "exhausted" by the twists and turns in the case over the past three years, including the recent surprise decision by Orange County Superior Court Judge Steven Bromberg to recuse himself from the case. Former Bravo Reality TV Star Surgeon Accused Of Drugging - Yahoo The new charges will involve downsizing the cases to at least two alleged victims. Spitzer has ensured the attorney general has unrestricted access to all district attorney personnel to aid in its review of the case and to answer any questions or provide clarification, she said. According to prosecutors, Mr Robicheaux and his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, lured women into their lives, drugged them and raped them. The net worth of Grant is still to get unfold yet. New DA says he wants to drop charges against Robicheaux and Riley. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Surgeon who appeared on reality TV dating show is accused of sexual assault and preying on drugged women, conduct a review of all the evidence collected in the case. They have both pleaded not guilty and have denied that anything that happened was not consensual. Grant Robicheaux and Cerissa Riley: California surgeon and his - CNN Robicheaux was charged with sexually assaulting seven women, with Riley charged with five assaults. Authorities said the couple may have attempted to assault women at several festivals and camp sites along the west coast, including the Burning Man Festival, Dirtybird Campout Festival, Splash House Festival, and various tourist landmarks around Page, Arizona. A representative for the attorney generals office could not immediately be reached for further comment. In the early 2010s, Riley, who had a creative streak, joined Hook, a missionary performance group that put on short, religious skits. However, in February of 2020, new O.C. OC Judge Reduces Charges Against Newport Beach Surgeon, Girlfriend 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. At the time, they said they didnt have enough evidence to prove allegations beyond a reasonable doubt related to the other women who have accused the couple of drugging and raping them. Then something changed, Dating in L.A. is exhausting, so I asked a chatbot to flirt for me. Whoops! Bei der Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps verwenden wir, unsere Websites und Apps fr Sie bereitzustellen, Nutzer zu authentifizieren, Sicherheitsmanahmen anzuwenden und Spam und Missbrauch zu verhindern, und, Ihre Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps zu messen, personalisierte Werbung und Inhalte auf der Grundlage von Interessenprofilen anzuzeigen, die Effektivitt von personalisierten Anzeigen und Inhalten zu messen, sowie, unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu entwickeln und zu verbessern. Todd Spitzer announces in February that he plans to drop all charges against Newport Beach doctor Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley. Grant Robicheaux is an American surgeon who appeared on an episode of the 2014 Bravo reality show Online Dating Rituals of the American Male. Convoluted Case Against Reality Show Doctor, Girlfriend Continues We believe there may be many unidentified victims out there, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said this week. Still cant believe this happened to us, Robicheaux said. The wedding was gorgeous, Woodruffs daughter, who did not want her name used, told the Daily Beast. Both Riley and Robicheaux were freed on $100,000 bail, and return to court on Oct. 25 for an arraignment. The review of the case by the D.A.s office came under scrutiny during a personnel investigation into a district attorney investigator, Jennifer Kearns. 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. Sign up here for our free newsletters. Attorneys for Dr. Grant Robicheaux and Cerissa Riley argued that the warrant to search the residence at 202 44th St. for drugs and DNA should be quashed and anything found during the. DA Todd Spitzer held a shocking news conference in which he said that he had assigned new prosecutors to the case after he took office, and their review found no evidence of unconscious women being assaulted. She grew up in Orange County and got her start as an intern at the Orange County Register. Yearbooks from the school indicate Grant Robicheaux was a 1999 grad . In a joint statement, the couples lawyers denied the charges. Another judge at the time said he would refuse to drop the charges, calling Mr Spitzer's decision "ludicrous" and questioning the district attorney's possible motives for the move. Spitzer accused his predecessor, Rackauckas, of possible prosecutorial misconduct: sensationalizing the case and driving it forward as a publicity stunt to further his own re-election efforts. Back in September of 2018, Robicheaux and Riley were charged with 17 counts each, including rape by use of drugs, oral copulation by anesthesia, assault with intent to commit sexual offense and possession of a controlled substance for sale. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? The same day, the Orange County district attorneys office made a motion to dismiss the case in front of Superior Court Judge Gregory Jones. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Julie Garland and Mary Katherine Strickland of the Attorney Generals Office told Orange County Superior Court Judge Frank Ospino Friday that they intend to file an amended complaint. A judge in Orange County heard arguments from attorneys for the couple and for the alleged victims and prosecutors last week, after which one alleged victim said they were "exhausted" by the thought the case could take years to prosecute. This internal memo was not a legal review of the evidence against Grant Robicheaux and Cerissa Riley or their innocence or guilt, she said. They May Never Get Their Day In Court", "Judge scales back charges against Orange County doctor, girlfriend in sex assault case", "A Wealthy Surgeon Accused Of Drugging And Raping Women Is No Longer Facing Rape Charges", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grant_Robicheaux&oldid=1151980723, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 April 2023, at 12:26. A woman, or any participant, can limit or withdraw his/her consent at any time, Fish wrote. Prosecutors have reportedly interviewed at least 13 alleged victims. The two were arrested at Dr. Robicheauxs home in Newport Beachon, southern California on September 12, 2018, and are accused of drugging, sexually assaulting and raping women. Over three months, the 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 a four-year period. Police say she helped her reality-TV star boyfriend drug and sexually assault women. Ms. Riley could spend 30 years behind bars. The net worth and salary of Grand is still hidden and will be published soon. Ospino indicated he intends to rule next week on the prosecutors request to pare down the charges. Breaking news for Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties. During a pretrial hearing Thursday, Deputy Atty. [1], In February 2020, Todd Spitzer won the election for District Attorney, taking over Rackauckas's position. Dr Grant Robicheaux, 38, was charged alongside his girlfriend Cerissa Laura Riley for allegedly drugging and raping two intoxicated women on Wednesday Orange County officials have said there. A woman purporting to be his girlfriend clearly played a significant role in disarming the victims, making them feel comfortable and safe.. Cerissa Riley, Arrested for Rapes With Dr. Grant Robicheaux, Was an 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 . Dr. Grant Robicheaux and Cerissa Riley initially were charged with drugging and raping seven women. Orange County judge grants motion to dismiss charges for 2 alleged Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, prosecutors painted the couple as sexual predators. [1] Following the charges, the California Medical Board opened an investigation into Robicheaux's conduct. Atty. The judge said he would rule by April 3, CNN affiliate KTLA reported. Things got weird fast, Opinion: California wants more psychiatric detentions. Grant Robicheaux, left, and Cerissa Riley, the Newport Beach doctor and his girlfriend accused of drugging and raping multiple women, listen during a hearing in Orange County Superior Court on . Surgeon and his girlfriend accused of drugging and raping up to a dozen Robicheaux 'Rape Doctor' Case Gets True Crime Podcast Treatment She said a day before she had consensual sex with both defendants and that she went to a concert the next day with the doctor, and they both did cocaine, Fish wrote. 38-Years-Old, Grant Robicheaux is an orthopedic surgeon in Newport Beach, Calif. 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. 9:18 AM EST, Tue February 11, 2020, Rape charges against reality TV surgeon to be dropped. March 31, 2021 In her new Audiochuck podcast, O.C. Hannah Fry is a Metro reporter covering Orange County for the Los Angeles Times. Dr. Grant Robicheaux and girlfriend Cerissa Riley, pictured in October 2018, were charged with drugging and raping multiple women. of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs, wrote in an email to Walters in October that the directive probably intimidates Kearns from sharing necessary details about the case with prosecutors without fear of reprimand. If convicted on all counts, Riley faces up to 30 years in state prison; Robicheaux could see up to 40. It was never a question, Robicheaux said. CNN First they were accused of drugging and raping women while recording their exploits on a cell phone. This is not the girl I know and have known since she and my son went to high school together., Woodruff first met Riley in the late 2000s, when she and her son, Chad, were in school together at Villa Park High School in Orange County. [1] The case gained international attention because Rackauckas implied that there were up to one thousand victims. Both Cerissa and Chad came from deeply religious Christian families, according to Woodruff. Robicheaux and Riley, a former schoolteacher, were initially charged in 2018 by Spitzers predecessor, Tony Rackauckas. Robicheaux received his medical degree from Louisiana State University and completed his residency at University of California, Irvine Medical Center. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Both Robicheaux and Riley have previously pleaded not guilty to the charges and remain free on bail. State prosecutor says decision 'imminent' on high-profile Newport Beach Swingers, journalist Justine Harman reexamines the case of Newport Beach surgeon Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend Cerissa Riley. [1] The police later stated that they had suspicions but we did not have positive identity at the time of the reports. In May, prosecutors made a request to dramatically scale back the criminal case, . She joined the newspaper in 2013 as a reporter for the Daily Pilot, a Times Community News publication. She sings beautifully, Woodruff said. The facts have to be viewed in their totality. The judge also noted that a victim can be so intoxicated to the point where she cannot resist, where she cannot consent or where she cannot withdraw prior consent. 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. 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.. The pair have both pleaded not guilty to the amended charges. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? However, there are a total of 13 accusers, some of whom could be used by prosecutors as further evidence of a pattern of behavior. On Friday, the judge in the case asked the state to file a brief explaining why it plans to dismiss certain charges before he makes a decision. Judge drops nearly all charges against reality TV star surgeon who The new series follows the case of a Newport Beach orthopedic surgeon and his girlfriend, who are accused of drugging and assaulting multiple women. Woman describes Tinder terror date with charged California surgeon City News Service contributed to this report. Orange County Dist. All Rights Reserved. The new complaint would also reportedly modify drug charges in the case to more accurately reflect the allegations, they said. [1] The woman stated that she consumed large amounts of alcohol before they invited her to Robicheaux's residence for an afterparty, where they drugged, raped, and orally copulated her. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? The request, however, was denied last year by Orange County Superior Court Judge Gregory Jones. Charges relating to two of the women were dropped in July at request of the alleged victims, according to BuzzFeed News. Robicheaux and Riley celebrated what seemed to be their imminent freedom on national TV last week. [5][3] Later in 2020, the Attorney General of California took over prosecuting the case. Riverside County Firefighters Stop Forward Progress of Brush Fire in Thermal, Walk to End Genocide Held Sunday In Fairfax District, Asian Couple in Bel Air Terrorized in Home Invasion Robbery, Police Arrest 24 During DUI Checkpoint in Riverside, Coroner IDs Man Who Jumped or Fell From Freeway Overpass. 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. The unusual move came after a prosecutor pointed out serious proof problems with the case, Spitzer said at the time. Its completely unfair to the victims in this case.. Grant Robicheaux, 40, and girlfriend Cerissa Riley, 34, were accused of drugging and sexually assaulting multiple women. Dr. Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, had their lives destroyed by the allegations, their lawyer said. When Mr Rackauckas was overseeing the case, he incorrectly predicted that there could be as many as 1,000 victims. View more / View fewer Facts of Grant Robicheaux. That woman said she met the defendants at a bar, and at some point she felt as if she blacked out at the bar and awoke later on the floor of the residence associated with the defendants and remembers a man hitting her in the face and someone else kicking her in the head, Fish wrote. The couple have pleaded not guilty and denied any nonconsensual sex. Send it to The Daily Beasthere. 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. The judge also ordered discovery to be turned over to the alleged victims attorneys so that we could evaluate the facts of the case, which, quite frankly, we havent had access to at this stage of the game, Fell said. This document was the final determination of a personnel investigation into whether an investigator included all pertinent exculpatory information in her police reports.. Couple speaks out after charges of victimizing female - YouTube 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. All Rights Reserved. Then something changed, Dating in L.A. is exhausting, so I asked a chatbot to flirt for me. The second defendant, being a female, is key, Rackaukas said. More women say surgeon drugged and raped them. If they were convicted of the charges, Dr. Robicheaux faces up to 40 years in prison. 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. At one time, Robicheaux was charged with seven victims and Riley with five. Things got weird fast, Opinion: California wants more psychiatric detentions. Weeks later, Bromberg recused himself from the case following allegations that he had mistreated defense attorneys and prosecutors during a heated court hearing. Investigator sues Orange County DA, alleging sabotage in sex - KTLA Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy. The attorney general, not this office, determines who state prosecutors talk to and when.. LAGUNA BEACH, CA - OCTOBER 17: Dr. Grant Robicheaux, and his girlfriend Cerissa Riley listen during their arraignment at the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach, CA on Wednesday, October 17, 2018. At the same time, prosecutors asked to dismiss three firearms enhancements against Robicheaux and Riley and to reduce four felony charges of drug possession for sale to misdemeanors. The group later went to a bar, and prosecutors allege the alleged victims drinks were drugged. The defendants actions of facilitating the victims excessive consumption of alcohol and drugs to ultimately prevent her from possessing the ability to resist sexual intercourse was the underlying motivation for their behavior, state prosecutors wrote in their motion. Atty. According to the state attorney general's office, at least three victims said they no longer wanted to partake in the case because they were "dragged through the mud" but the Orange County district attorney's office.