Bellefonte man found not guilty of rape, after defense attorney argues regret is not rape
.jpg)
A 27-year-old Bellefonte man was found not guilty of two rape-related charges Tuesday following a two-hour jury deliberation, after his defense attorney argued that regret does not equate to rape.
Maurice Mayes was accused in December 2019 of both sexual assault and the rape of an unconscious victim after he met a then-21-year-old co-worker at a bar before accompanying her back to her State College apartment. Defense attorney Shannon Malone, a public defender, pointed to several inconsistencies in the woman’s narrative and cast doubt on the results of a rape kit, which wasn’t taken until after the woman showered and had gone to class.
The trial had started Monday.
“I believe that he is not only ‘not guilty,’ but he’s innocent,” Malone told the CDT. “My client has a 2-year-old daughter. This result was so meaningful for him because he’s going to be able to watch her grow up, and he’s not going to sit behind bars for something he didn’t do.”
According to both Malone and court documents, the two were co-workers at a downtown State College restaurant and drank to excess at a bar before Mayes and an on-duty co-worker escorted the intoxicated woman back home. Mayes remained and said the woman eventually woke up and invited him into her bedroom; the woman said she remembered nothing from that night. She woke up disrobed the next day.
The woman’s roommate, who sleeps in the same bedroom, arrived home sometime after Mayes and the woman. She also said she remembered nothing from that night.
Malone argued that anything that took place happened between two consenting adults, that the woman — whom the CDT is not naming due to ethical concerns — alleged rape because she worried her roommate might tell her boyfriend. Malone also pointed to conflicting elements in the woman’s story, pointing out what she initially said at Mount Nittany Medical Center went against her later narrative.
Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna thanked the jury for its service in a brief statement to the CDT.
“Our legal system can only function with the service of our jurors, and we appreciate the time they took to hear the case,” he said. “And we respect their verdict.”
The incident was alleged to have happened in December 2019. Mayes was arraigned in August 2020, and the trial started Monday before ending with a “not guilty” verdict Tuesday.
“This has greatly impacted (Mayes’) life, obviously, facing rape allegations,” Malone said. “He’s maintained his innocence throughout. ... I am very happy that the jury was able to hear the evidence and make the right decision.”
This story was originally published September 1, 2021 at 2:35 PM.
