Rape tape judge backs down

This just in: According to the Chicago Tribune, the Cook County judge who had threatened to send a woman to jail for contempt of court if she refused to view a videotape of her alleged rape has backed down. The Tribune reports, “Judge Kerry Kennedy ruled the witness can continue her testimony without viewing the tape  He also refused a defense request to dismiss the charges against the suburban man accused of sexually assaulting her.” A group of lawyers worked overnight to prepare an argument for the judge this morning, according to Lyn Schollett, general counsel for the Springfield-based Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault. “The court cannot knowingly inflict this kind of distress on a victim,” Schollett said. The woman had repeatedly stated that she did not want to view the tape.