SALEM — The jury is still out in the trial of Kevin Sledge, the suspended Lawrence police officer who is charged with rape, three counts of indecent assault, and kidnapping, stemming from a Sept. 26, 2008, incident.
Prosecutor Kate MacDougall and defense attorney John Morris presented closing arguments yesterday morning and jurors were given orders by Judge Howard Whitehead. The jury began deliberations about 11 a.m., continuing until the court closed for the day at 4 p.m. The jurors are to resume deliberations today at 9 a.m.
Throughout the trial, MacDougall has argued that the victim was an "easy mark" who was drunk when she was preyed upon by a person in authority.
Sledge, 48, of Salem met the woman at Casa de Sirena at Jackson and Haverhill streets, the restaurant where Sledge went for food early that morning. When he saw the woman, he noticed that she was intoxicated. She had been out that night celebrating her 23rd birthday and had been to several bars and nightclubs earlier in the evening.
MacDougall said he took advantage of her — bringing her back to the police station in his car, where, she said, he groped, fondled and raped her.
The combination of Sledge's position of authority and the woman's drunken condition allowed the police officer "to do whatever he wanted to do for hours," MacDougall said. Sick and drifting in and out of sleep, the woman lay curled up on the passenger seat of Sledge's personal vehicle in the parking lot, MacDougall said. On four or five occasions, Sledge left the police station and returned to his car, MacDougall said.
But Morris countered that the woman had not been kidnapped, but was actually rescued from an "embarrassing situation."
He said she had gotten into a van with three men she did not know and was driving around the city with them. When Sledge saw what was going on, "he was trying to help someone who needed help," Morris said.
Sledge then brought her to the police station and let her sleep in the car while he went inside and tended to his duties. He left the station several times to check on her well-being, Morris said.
Further, there is no DNA evidence indicating she was raped by Sledge and, in fact, some of the physical evidence — particularly fibers found on the woman — did not match Sledge's clothing, Morris said. He said she was able to come and go from the car, and had gotten out of the vehicle and walked away from it to vomit, then got back in.
Among those attending yesterday's closing arguments was District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett.
"This is an extremely serious case," he said. "Anytime there's an allegation against law enforcement, it's extremely troubling. Law enforcement has to be held to a higher standard."
He praised the victim as "courageous to come forward" and praised MacDougall as well as the Lawrence and state police for the investigation and prosecution of the case.
