A defense attorney in a Memphis rape trial had a, well, let’s just say interesting strategy for his closing argument at the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center on Thursday. In front of a jury that included 11 women and three men, Steve Farese said, “People can be good at lying. Women can be especially good at it, because they’re the weaker sex.”
Yes. He said that. In a rape trial. In front of an almost entirely female jury.
Farese is representing local businessman Mark Giannini, who is accused of raping and choking a woman who went to his home for a job interview, the The Commercial Appeal reported. The defense team argued that the sex was consensual and that the victim’s version of the story wasn’t credible. Farese also reportedly said that prosecutors kept the woman’s clothing out of evidence because they didn’t want the jury to see how sexy it was.
Deborah Clubb, executive director of the Memphis Area Women’s Council, was appalled by Farese’s statement. “He stood in front of 11 women on a jury and said women are liars? That just doesn’t even make the first bit of sense and it’s despicable,” Clubb said. “Doesn’t even sound like professional strategy for an attorney.”
Farese doubled down on his statements afterwards, telling the local newspaper over the phone, “My job is not to care if anybody gets offended,” and that “smart people will see it for what it is.”
The jury is still deliberating in this case.
[Image via screengrab]
Update 5:52 pm
Jury found Giannini not guilty on all 3 counts of aggravated rape.
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