Opinion ID: 3154121
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Swiridowsky’s Testimony

Text: At the close of the state’s case, defendant moved for judgment of acquittal, which the court denied. The defense then presented its case, calling defendant as its first witness. The defendant testified to a markedly different account of events occurring on October 27 and 28, 2007. He testified that he was at a Halloween party until approximately midnight, at which time he left and went to another party until about 4:30 a.m. There, defendant and a friend were using cocaine, smoking marijuana, and drinking alcohol. The defendant testified that, after leaving the second party, he was driving back to his house and his friend was following behind him in another vehicle. The defendant stated at trial that he came upon Sarah, who was walking down the street, and asked her if she needed a ride, which she declined. He explained that his friend then called him on his cell phone, stating, “Why don’t you pick up that girl? She’s out there at five o’clock in the morning. She’s obviously up to something.” The defendant next testified that he circled his car around and asked Sarah if she “want[ed] to get high?” According to defendant’s testimony, this sparked an exchange in which Sarah told him she was already on her way to meet a friend for cocaine and directed him to pull into a nearby driveway to wait for her to return. At trial, defendant next stated that he “got antsy sitting in the truck,” so he got out of the vehicle and walked to Admiral Street, where he saw Sarah walking back toward him. According to defendant’s testimony, Sarah had been unable to obtain any drugs, so the two went back to defendant’s vehicle to use the cocaine that he had in his possession. The defendant testified that the two then ingested cocaine in the car at the location where it had been parked. He then asked Sarah if she wanted a ride home, which she answered in the affirmative. The defendant further -6- testified that she gave him directions to her house and, when Sarah’s house was in sight, she directed him to stop the vehicle because she did not want her roommates to see them. The defendant testified that she then asked for more cocaine before getting out of the truck. According to his testimony, he initially declined, but then offered her cocaine in exchange for what he “implied” was oral sex. He testified that the two then engaged in vaginal intercourse after he suggested that he would give her more cocaine if she agreed. He further testified that to avoid getting her pregnant, the encounter transitioned back to oral sex. According to his testimony, he agreed to alert her before ejaculating, because she did not want him to ejaculate in her mouth. He testified that he did not so alert her and he ejaculated in her mouth, causing her to become very upset. He explained that she angered him by screaming while they were in a “quiet residential neighborhood,” so he refused to give her more cocaine and told her to get out of his vehicle. At trial, he stated that, after she refused to get out of the vehicle, he grabbed her clothing and other belongings and threw them out of the vehicle’s window into the street. According to defendant’s testimony, he reached across, pulled the door handle, and pushed her out of the vehicle.