Amazing Conversation Taking Place, Here On JNS Blog, Between Once-Purported Rapist And Former-Alleged Victim, APPARENTLY...

Creative stock photo, "The Jungle Room" at Graceland,
blog post by John Hoff

In two previous blog posts, I wrote about Rick Clark Briggs.

Briggs was charged with rape by the Hennepin County Attorney. And then the charges were abruptly dropped. This blogger dutifully reported the surprising--even shocking--"about face" by the County Attorney's office. This rarely if ever happens. I can't think of a single other example, at least not when it comes to stories I have reported.

Now, incredibly, a conversation is taking place in the comments of this blog between a commenter purporting to be the alleged victim, and another commenter purporting to be Rick Clark Briggs. Some others have jumped in, too, but there appear to be two main "voices" having this conversation.

It is an interesting and amazing discussion. If you'd like to read it, click here. 

A couple of other related comments can be found here.

Oh, a word of explanation about the photo, above...

Regular readers are familiar with my habit of using "creative stock photos." I believe every blog post needs an illustration and, for the past few years I have used my own stockpile of images. Sometimes the meaning of the creative photo is obvious. Other times a little creative interpretation may be required by the reader.

The photo above is the "Jungle Room" at Graceland, the home of Elvis.

Why have I chosen this image?

Because nobody knows exactly what happened in the Jungle Room. Except there was DEFINITELY some kind of sexual contact. No disrespect is intended to anybody (including The King) by my use of this image.

I will also say that I have looked VERY VERY CLOSELY at the criminal complaint, click here. These are things that jump out at me:

1.) The victim was picked up by a cab at the home where the alleged rape took place. She didn't tell the cab driver "I was just raped, call the police." Instead, she waited until she was home.

2.) The alleged victim had known the (once legally accused) assailant for five months. But she only knew him as "Rick." REALLY? You know somebody for five months and you don't know their last name? I know people for FIVE MINUTES and can recall their last name months later, at least some of the time.

3.) The story outlined in the complaint is one of a victim who wanted to "hang out." In other words, the man in question was in the infamous "friend zone." Allegedly, no expectation of sexual contact was expected.

So if a videotape exists of the victim kissing the suspect, that is a rather large hole in the victim's story. Clearly, it is possible (even likely) that a woman could be kissing a guy in a bar but not want to have sexual intercourse with him. But if that woman tells a story of rape, later, and NO MENTION IS MADE that she was kissing him in the bar, then you have to wonder...

WHAT THE HECK? Why was that part left out?

4.) ON THE OTHER HAND, the medical examination revealed injuries.

So whose story should I believe? I find myself doing what I usually do when I want to assess somebody: looking up their rap sheet.

Rick Clark Briggs has a single conviction. For FISHING WITHOUT A LICENSE. For this crime against nature (so to speak) he paid a total of $135 in court fines. Which are PAID, by the way. Compare and contrast to a certain thug I could name. 

Clark was also sued by Payday America, for a whole $75. That judgment is paid off. This happened in 2011.

(CORRECTION INSERTED July 14. There is ANOTHER Rick Briggs who has been sued twice, but it can't be the same Rick Briggs as the subject of this post because he would have been too young at the time of the lawsuits. This blog is corrected, accordingly, and thanks to the commenter who drew this error to my attention)

Lastly, Briggs was involved in a custody battle involving two children. This was just in March of last year.

So Rick Clark Briggs is a flawed character. Barely.

SOMETHING happened, here.

But what, exactly?

And can I make a judgment of a man based upon the fact his only criminal conviction was for FISHING WITHOUT A LICENSE?

I can and I do.

I am inclined, at this point, to believe Mr. Briggs' side of the story BECAUSE ONLY A SOLID CITIZEN GETS THROUGH LIFE WITH ONLY A CHARGE OF FISHING WITHOUT A LICENSE.

Hell, his record looks much better than MINE. I have a lead foot and sometimes and I don't always complete my vehicle registrations in a timely way.

So if Briggs DID something he would be CHARGED with something, wouldn't he? Even if a rape charge was dropped, there might be, at a minimum, disorderly conduct, or false imprisonment, or...

Oh, geez, another thing. There was no date rape drug involved, was there? I mean, this woman was examined within 24 hours. So if there was a rape drug involved, that stuff would have turned up, right? And yet there is the story of how she felt "head spins" as though to imply, oh gee, maybe I was DRUGGED WITH SOMETHING.

By the mysterious "Rick" whose name she doesn't know after five months. Who raped her, then called her a cab, and she called police, like, when she got home.

Uh huh...

Hmmmmmmm.