A federal judge in the United States has delivered a stark ruling, stating that a man's claims of marital bliss and a monogamous lifestyle cannot be used as a defence against charges he conspired with his brothers to sexually assault women.
Marriage Not a Legal Shield Against Conspiracy
Judge Valerie E. Caproni rejected a request from defendant Alon Alexander to dismiss a count of the indictment against him and to present his 2019 engagement and subsequent marriage as evidence of his innocence. The trial, set to begin with jury selection next week in Manhattan, will proceed without this line of defence.
The judge firmly stated that proof of Alon Alexander’s engagement and marriage is legally irrelevant and constitutes inadmissible hearsay. This ruling bars his legal team from introducing photographs, social media posts, home videos of his engagement announcement, or statements from his co-defendants and a rabbi.
The Allegations Against the Real Estate Brothers
Alon Alexander and his two brothers, Oren and Tal Alexander, remain in jail without bail after pleading not guilty to conspiracy and other serious charges. The indictment alleges the trio drugged and raped dozens of women over a near two-decade period, from 2002 to 2021.
Oren and Tal Alexander were prominent luxury real estate brokers, selling high-end properties in major markets including New York City, Miami, and Los Angeles. Prosecutors allege they leveraged their wealth and influence to carry out the attacks.
Judge Dismisses "Withdrawal from Single Life" Argument
Alon Alexander's lawyers had argued that his decision to get engaged and married signalled his exit from "the single life" and amounted to a withdrawal from any alleged conspiracy. Judge Caproni thoroughly dismantled this argument in her written decision.
She noted his contention "fails to adequately grapple with the nuance of the Government's allegations or the contours of a sex trafficking conspiracy more generally." The judge emphasised that participation in a criminal conspiracy is not comparable to participating in "the single life."
"There are plenty of single men who engage in sexual activity without trafficking, drugging, or raping women and girls," Judge Caproni wrote. "By the same token, the inverse of the Government's alleged conspiracy is not, for example, 'the engaged life' or 'the married life.'"
She concluded that the mere transition from being single to being engaged does not clearly indicate a defendant has withdrawn from a conspiracy or would cease helping his brothers accomplish its goals. This could be true, she reasoned, even if his participation no longer involved him having sex with women other than his fiancée.
The judge suggested the defence was an attempt to "reach for the prize" of an acquittal with a flawed argument. With this motion denied, the stage is set for the high-profile trial of the three brothers to commence as scheduled.
