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hlthe2b

(102,429 posts)
Wed Jul 17, 2019, 04:41 PM Jul 2019

**Breaking** Charges dropped against actor Kevin Spacey in "groping case"

Charges dropped against actor Kevin Spacey in groping case

https://www.wptv.com/news/national/charges-dropped-against-actor-kevin-spacey-in-groping-case



BOSTON (AP) — Prosecutors have dropped a case accusing Kevin Spacey of groping a young man at a Massachusetts resort island bar in 2016.

The Cape and Islands district attorney said Wednesday that they dropped the indecent assault and battery case brought against the actor last year.

Spacey was accused of getting an 18-year-old man drunk and then groping him at a Nantucket restaurant and bar where the teen worked as a busboy.

Spacey denied the allegations.

The case was hobbled after Spacey's accuser invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and refused to testify about text messages the defense claims were deleted.

The accuser had been ordered to testify about a cellphone he used the night of the alleged assault. He was supposed to turn it over to the defense but said it was missing.



Apparently, a civil suit was dropped earlier this month:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/05/kevin-spacey-groping-lawsuit-dropped-by-accuser.html

Key Points

A young man who said Kevin Spacey groped him in a Nantucket, Massachusetts, bar in 2016 dismisses his civil lawsuit against the Academy Award-winning actor. He still faces criminal charges connected to the case.
The suit is dismissed with prejudice, meaning Spacey’s accuser cannot refile the case later.
The accuser is the son of Heather Unruh, a Boston TV anchor. According to Unruh, Spacey allegedly got the man drunk and sexually assaulted him at the Club Car restaurant where he worked.

34 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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**Breaking** Charges dropped against actor Kevin Spacey in "groping case" (Original Post) hlthe2b Jul 2019 OP
So now starts the rehabilitation campaign, I guess...? hlthe2b Jul 2019 #1
Sure why not? n/t MicaelS Jul 2019 #8
I'm asking in terms of are there any other pending criminal charges...? hlthe2b Jul 2019 #10
Maybe we can have a do over on House Of Cards? Initech Jul 2019 #18
Yeah, I'm with you there... What a horrible disappointment. hlthe2b Jul 2019 #20
I tried so hard to be open minded, and really really wanted to like it, and was pnwest Jul 2019 #28
This was one of the few ME-TOO era cases to result in criminal charges. I don't know if this is a hlthe2b Jul 2019 #2
he still faces criminal charges... stillcool Jul 2019 #3
The OP is announcing the DA dropping criminal charges. I am unaware of any other jurisdiction hlthe2b Jul 2019 #5
oh wow...the paragraph on the bottom.. stillcool Jul 2019 #11
Quite possibly. It surely seemed that several jurisdictions were initially interested in him. hlthe2b Jul 2019 #12
He has issues several places. Blue_true Jul 2019 #15
And does anyone think Epstein's going to get hard time? customerserviceguy Jul 2019 #4
The Madsachusetts case against Spacey was crippled be the actions of the accuser. Blue_true Jul 2019 #16
Sometimes customerserviceguy Jul 2019 #17
I can't argue with that statement. nt Blue_true Jul 2019 #26
Out of curiousity, how do you 'get someone drunk'? mr_lebowski Jul 2019 #6
There is a "date-rape" drug that has been in the news. Blue_true Jul 2019 #19
It says 'got them drunk' not gave them roofies ... (nt) mr_lebowski Jul 2019 #29
If they didn't see something slipped into a drink, then it would have been made drunk to them. nt Blue_true Jul 2019 #30
Don't you think mom, defending her child, would've said 'he didn't even drink ... mr_lebowski Jul 2019 #32
This is an unproductive situation. I will leave you to your world. nt Blue_true Jul 2019 #34
I believe the young man told him he was 21 n/t TexasBushwhacker Jul 2019 #31
Imagine you're in AA, and you end up drunk, and you tell your sponsor the next day ... mr_lebowski Jul 2019 #33
How does Spacey get his reputation back? MicaelS Jul 2019 #7
Talk to the Lethal Weapon actor. Blue_true Jul 2019 #21
In the words of Emily Litella, kskiska Jul 2019 #25
That was expected madville Jul 2019 #9
I agree. The accuser shot the legs from under the case. Blue_true Jul 2019 #22
He might have dodged charges here, peacefreak2.0 Jul 2019 #13
They are. nt Blue_true Jul 2019 #23
That particular case looked weak. Spacey has issues, but the accuser did not help victims with his Blue_true Jul 2019 #14
President Frank Underwood wakes up in the White House and realizes... brooklynite Jul 2019 #24
Anyone crying about unfairness to Spacey/what he's lost is ignoring that this was nowhere near RockRaven Jul 2019 #27

pnwest

(3,266 posts)
28. I tried so hard to be open minded, and really really wanted to like it, and was
Wed Jul 17, 2019, 08:11 PM
Jul 2019

willing to forgive as much as I could for having to make up for Frank being gone.......but yeah, it was a HUGE disappointment. Frank was an awesome character, they shoulda tried harder.

hlthe2b

(102,429 posts)
2. This was one of the few ME-TOO era cases to result in criminal charges. I don't know if this is a
Wed Jul 17, 2019, 04:59 PM
Jul 2019

miscarriage of justice or a just outcome--I really don't, but I thought it would get more interest, frankly.

stillcool

(32,626 posts)
3. he still faces criminal charges...
Wed Jul 17, 2019, 05:02 PM
Jul 2019

I can not imagine that the DA will go forward with it...they had zero evidence, and a victim who pleads the fifth? They have Heather Unruh. wonder if Spacey is going to sue them?

hlthe2b

(102,429 posts)
5. The OP is announcing the DA dropping criminal charges. I am unaware of any other jurisdiction
Wed Jul 17, 2019, 05:05 PM
Jul 2019

wherein he is facing any other criminal charges.

stillcool

(32,626 posts)
11. oh wow...the paragraph on the bottom..
Wed Jul 17, 2019, 05:36 PM
Jul 2019

confused me. That was fast! I think he still faces something in London?

Blue_true

(31,261 posts)
15. He has issues several places.
Wed Jul 17, 2019, 06:21 PM
Jul 2019

The London case involves him allegedly abusing subordinates when he was a theatre director there.

customerserviceguy

(25,183 posts)
4. And does anyone think Epstein's going to get hard time?
Wed Jul 17, 2019, 05:05 PM
Jul 2019

He has way more money than Spacey to buy the best lawyers. So did Kraft.

Blue_true

(31,261 posts)
16. The Madsachusetts case against Spacey was crippled be the actions of the accuser.
Wed Jul 17, 2019, 06:25 PM
Jul 2019

The Florida case against Kraft was crippled by errors that were made during the surveillance.

If the SDNY did it's homework, Epstein will go to jail. The question is whether powerful men that participated in pedophelia with him will face justice.

 

mr_lebowski

(33,643 posts)
6. Out of curiousity, how do you 'get someone drunk'?
Wed Jul 17, 2019, 05:14 PM
Jul 2019

Is that when you tell them you're giving them O'Douls but it's really Stout IPA? Or tell 'em it's cranberry juice when it's actually spiked with Vodka?

I wonder what the remaining criminal charges are? Sounds from the story as though the phone is considered important evidence in that one as well (i.e. it's not just about Spacey providing alcohol to someone under 21).

I do kinda wonder why the court would consider it incumbent on the boy to provide his phone ... shouldn't Spacey have to provide some kind of evidence that there were exonerating texts on them, rather than just 'saying there is' and then the kid has to come up with them? That seems ... backwards.

Maybe Spacey did come up with something to prove it (or at least suggest it) though already, hard to know.

I hope he's not guilty just cause I like Spacey, I gotta admit.

Blue_true

(31,261 posts)
19. There is a "date-rape" drug that has been in the news.
Wed Jul 17, 2019, 06:29 PM
Jul 2019

Apparently it can be put in any liquid and causes the response of drunkeness and loss of control. So a person can drink a glass of water and get "drunk" if they don't ask for a capped bottle instead.

 

mr_lebowski

(33,643 posts)
32. Don't you think mom, defending her child, would've said 'he didn't even drink ...
Thu Jul 18, 2019, 01:27 AM
Jul 2019

but somehow wound up intoxicated, seems like he must've been drugged!?!', rather than using the phrase 'got him drunk' ... if that were the case?

 

mr_lebowski

(33,643 posts)
33. Imagine you're in AA, and you end up drunk, and you tell your sponsor the next day ...
Thu Jul 18, 2019, 01:31 AM
Jul 2019

"Hey, Bill, man, it's really not my fault ... Ronnie got me drunk!"

He'd tell you to 'STFU, nobody can get you drunk. What did he do, tie you down and waterboard you with Whiskey?'

Are you beginning to understand the point I'm making, or do I need to explain further?

Blue_true

(31,261 posts)
21. Talk to the Lethal Weapon actor.
Wed Jul 17, 2019, 06:34 PM
Jul 2019

His career was shot, but recently he has both acted and directed.

Spacey still has cases that can be brought against him.

If he clears all the cases that may be brought, my guess is him being Kevin Spacey would be rehabilitation enough. The guy was probably one of the top living actors, on par with Pacino, Denzel Washington and DiNiro.

madville

(7,412 posts)
9. That was expected
Wed Jul 17, 2019, 05:20 PM
Jul 2019

The prosecution got hung out to dry by the accuser and his parents who are obviously hiding some details that would cast doubt on their claims against Spacey.

I don't doubt he was drunkenly partying with a younger man, the entire question is whether the advances were welcome or not.

Once the accuser dropped his civil case and then pleaded the fifth in the criminal proceedings it was over.

Blue_true

(31,261 posts)
22. I agree. The accuser shot the legs from under the case.
Wed Jul 17, 2019, 06:36 PM
Jul 2019

If prosecutors had moved forward, they would have lost badly, IMO.

Blue_true

(31,261 posts)
14. That particular case looked weak. Spacey has issues, but the accuser did not help victims with his
Wed Jul 17, 2019, 06:19 PM
Jul 2019

conduct.

RockRaven

(15,040 posts)
27. Anyone crying about unfairness to Spacey/what he's lost is ignoring that this was nowhere near
Wed Jul 17, 2019, 07:33 PM
Jul 2019

the only accusation against him. Don't get out over your skis reacting to this story.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Spacey#Sexual_misconduct_allegations

More than fifteen accusers in the US, eight from House of Cards.
More than twenty in the UK, at least 6 of which were reported to police.
One accuser was 14 at the time of the alleged incident, an incident which Spacey then publicly claimed he didn't remember but apologized for.
Co-star on The Usual Suspects says production was shut down for 2 days after he made unwanted advances to a young actor.


Look, I get it, I liked Kevin Spacey as an actor before I knew any of this too. But the charges being dropped and the lawsuit being dismissed with prejudice in this case do not make Spacey a non-creep. Look at the entire picture.

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