Ripley Co. Prosecutors Visits Texas To Learn More About Sexual Assault Cases

Thursday, January 30, 2020 at 9:22 AM

By Ripley County Prosecutor's Office, news release

At the conference in Dallas, Texas, prosecutor Ric Hertel met the team of prosecutors who prosecuted Bill Cosby.

Pictured: Kristen Gibbons Feden, Ric Hertel, and M. Stewart Ryan. Photo provided. 

(Ripley County, Ind.) - In April, 2019, Prosecuting Attorney Ric Hertel presented in Dallas, TX at the annual Crimes Against Women Conference on a jury selection topic entitled, “The Kavanaugh Effect,” which outlined the impact of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment and confirmation process on sexual assault cases. He discussed how that confirmation process has influenced jury selection in Ripley County and throughout the country in sexual assault cases and provided ideas moving forward.

At the Crimes Against Women Conference, Hertel met the team of prosecutors who prosecuted the celebrity, Bill Cosby, in two separate trials in Pennsylvania; the first trial resulting in a mistrial, and the second resulting in a conviction which was recently upheld by the Pennsylvania Appellate Court. Hertel kept in contact with those prosecutors, hoping to have them come to Indiana to train prosecutors on obstacles they encountered while prosecuting such a high-profile case. Hertel coordinated with the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council, of which he is a member and serves on the Board of Directors, to bring the Cosby prosecutors to Indiana. During the Indiana Prosecutor’s Winter Conference, those prosecutors spoke to several hundred prosecutors and deputies, outlining the two trials. In both trials, Cosby had hired a team of defense attorneys to represent him and much of their strategy at times was to discredit his victims. Indiana prosecutors were given insight to the Cosby case and also advice prosecuting high profile community members who are accused of committing crimes in their jurisdictions.

Hertel noted that the Commonwealth vs. Cosby case had many of the same issues prosecutors in Ripley County and throughout the country must navigate and overcome in sexual assault cases. Those issues include delayed reports from the victim, lack of or limited physical evidence, no eye-witness testimony, and very limited corroborative evidence of the victim’s testimony. Hertel echoed the remarks of the Cosby prosecutors that sexual assault cases are some of the most difficult for victims, law enforcement and prosecutors. However, Cosby’s conviction gave encouragement to those prosecutors attending that despite some of the difficulties in these cases convictions could be had.

More from Local News


Events

Free Summer Meals Available to Students Across Indiana

Several Summer Food Service sites are located in southeastern Indiana.

Milan Gym Lobby Dedication Set for June 17

Players from the 1954 championship team will be there. The event is open to the public.

Local Sports Report - June 8, 2023

Area golfers competed at the IHSAA Regional on Thursday.

Rising Sun Baseball Set for Trip to Jasper for Semi-State

Community members are invited to send off the Shiners on Friday afternoon.

Batesville's Schebler to Play in North South All-Star Game

Schebler is the 9th player in Batesville history to be selected to play in the All-Star Game.

On Air

Your Hometown Radio Station playing
Brantley Gilbert - Country Must Be Country Wide

Montgomery Gentry Roll with Me 13:38
Eric Church Heart on Fire 13:30
Forester Sisters Mama's Never Seen Those Eyes 13:27
Luke Bryan Country Man 13:23