Commonwealth v. Sa
Court of Appeals of Massachusetts
790 N.E.2d 733 (2003)
Relevant factsFree
Seap Sa (defendant) raped a 17-year-old victim after driving her away from her home under threat of violence; the following morning, the victim had consensual sex with her boyfriend. At trial, defense counsel sought to question the victim about that post-rape intercourse to suggest she wasn't truly traumatized by the rape, but the trial court excluded the evidence under the state's rape shield statute; Sa was convicted of aggravated rape and appealed.
IssueFree
Whether, in an aggravated rape case, evidence of the victim's prior sexual conduct is inadmissible unless the evidence shows that the victim previously made false statements or had a motive to falsely accuse the defendant.