[CA] Sgt Rodrigues 4th rape arrest - & yes, release

RODRIGUES FACES FOUR COUNTS OF FORCIBLE RAPE, TWO COUNTS OF UNLAWFUL SEXUAL PENETRATION, TWO FELONY COUNTS OF POSSESSION OF FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION WHILE UNDER A RESTRAINING ORDER, AND ONE COUNT EACH OF SPOUSAL RAPE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ATTEMPTED RAPE

Previous Entries:

• [CA] TIMEBOMB Rodrigues dv, rape, and intimidation charges - Tick. Tick. Tick - ...These women are destined to live in fear for as long as this deputy - or ex-deputy lives. That's the whole of it... (226 comments)
• [CA] The BOLO, Surrender, & Immediate Release of Michael Rodrigues - ...His surrender at the county jail came more than 48 hours after a grand jury indicted the 25-year department veteran on charges that include: three counts of forcible rape, two counts of unlawful sexual penetration and one count each of attempted rape, domestic violence and spousal rape...
  
• [CA] Hard for Sgt. Rodrigues to get a fair trial (with so many victims) - ...Rodrigues' attorney, Christopher R. Miller, filed a request this week that San Benito County Superior Court Judge Steven R. Sanders recuse himself from the case...
• [CA] Transcript on 8 felony counts against Rodrigues still sealed - ...Felony charges against Rodrigues include three counts of forcible rape, two counts of unlawful sexual penetration and one count each of spousal rape, attempted rape and domestic violence...
• [CA] Transcript details domestic violence, rapes attributed to Sgt. Rodrigues - ...The transcript of testimony was released Wednesday of three suspected victims and four other witnesses in front of the grand jury...
• [CA] To charge or not charge Ex-Sgt. Rodrigues who defiantly kept his guns? - ...A restraining order, filed by Rodrigues' estranged wife and signed by a San Benito County judge, prohibits Rodrigues from possessing any firearms or ammunition. No arrests were made, but state authorities forwarded the search results to the San Benito County District Attorney's Office to determine if Rodrigues will face charges...
  

SHERIFF:
"I want to apologize to every man woman and child..."

Ex-deputy arrested today, suspected of fourth rape count
Hollister Free Lance, CA
By Jeff Gatlin
and Kollin Kosmicki editor@freelancenews.com
Sep 24, 2008
[Excerpts] Deputies arrested former sheriff's Sgt. Mike Rodrigues today on suspicion of a fourth rape charge, and a judge later released him on his own recognizance... Rodrigues was set to be arraigned today on suspicion of three previous rape counts alleged by a grand jury... The sheriff, for the second time since Rodrigues' first arrest on rape charges in December, apologized to the community and also said he's "not happy" with the visiting judge's decision to release Rodrigues after authorities charged him with the additional rape count, along with two other felony counts alleging possession of firearms and ammunition while under a restraining order. Authorities today also charged Rodrigues on three misdemeanor counts on suspicion of violating a restraining order. The visiting judge, from Napa County, arraigned him on the prior rape counts and released Rodrigues on the condition that he agree to turn in his passport and not leave the county, [Sheriff Curtis] Hill said... Although Hill said Rodrigues was peacefully arrested, defense attorney Arthur Cantu contended otherwise... "How dare they file new charges? How dare they file new charges? This is nothing more than a witch hunt. This is nothing more than a vendetta between Mikey and his enemies in the sheriff's department." An investigation of Rodrigues, a 25-year sheriff's office veteran, resulted in the December indictment alleging three counts of forcible rape, two counts of unlawful sexual penetration and one count each of spousal rape, domestic violence and attempted rape. The sheriff today said he's sorry for the Rodrigues ordeal - he apologized emphatically in December after the indictment as well. "I want to apologize to every man woman and child in San Benito County," Hill said today. "We work to build trust in the community, and these allegations break that trust down." [Full article here]