LIVINGSTON — It took a 12-person jury 2.5 hours to find Melanie Curtin not guilty of simple rape and video voyeurism.
WATCH: Melanie Curtin speaks for the first time
Tears erupted from Curtin as the foreperson read the jury’s verdict, as well as from her mother, fiancé and youngest son.
“We are happy and thankful that the jury has finally recognized Melanie as one of Dennis Perkins’ many victims, and that she can finally put this saga behind her,” said Curtin’s attorney Jeanna Wheat.
“I am so thankful for the people that have prayed for me and fought for me. I’m looking forward to freedom,” Curtin said tearfully.
“I’m never coming back. I won’t be back,” Curtin said to reporters after she exited the courthouse Tuesday evening.
The Attorney General’s prosecution team exited the courthouse a short time later and addressed the media.
“We believe this case was tried in the court of public opinion and the media before it got to court to handle this case and we believe there has been exposure on a level that prevented this trial from being fair and impartial and aware of only what is provided in court,” said Assistant Attorney General Erika Moore. “There have been podcasts, massive media exposure, the victim has been defamed, the victim has been embarrassed, she’s been demonized, we’ve been demonized, but we will continue to fight for victims of sexual assault in Louisiana, and we will continue to fight for those who have experienced traumatizing sexual horror.”
The Attorney General’s Office issued a statement:
“After a retrial, years of delays, extensive court proceedings, and other factors, this is not the outcome we had hoped for—and our disappointment is a grave understatement. While we disagree with the jury’s verdict, we respect its decision.
The victim in this case endured horrific abuse at the hands of Dennis Perkins and courageously testified about that trauma. The crime committed against her was profoundly damaging, and it is clear we have more work to do in Louisiana to better protect survivors of sexual assault.
I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the victim, who so courageously testified, even though this has been emotional torture for her. I am so sorry the system failed her. She did not deserve what she has been forced to endure.
I remain deeply concerned about court rulings in this case that significantly weakened the protections of our rape shield law, and I will continue fighting to address those failures and ensure fairness and accountability in our courts.
I am also deeply troubled by a certain media campaign that I believe was an intentional effort to influence the legal process, poison the jury, and undermine confidence in the justice system.
However, Dennis Perkins, a sick, demented, disgusting, and evil person, will die in prison for his heinous crimes, and Cynthia Perkins will remain incarcerated for decades.
I want to thank our prosecutors, Erica Moore, Barry Milligan, Cassidy Smith, and Joseph LeBeau, for their hard work and dedication in pursuing justice. Thank you also to STAR for its victim advocacy and for standing with the victim throughout this entire ordeal.
I will never stop fighting to protect victims and seek justice for survivors of sexual assault across Louisiana.” – ATTORNEY GENERAL LIZ MURRILL
The retrial of Melanie Curtin is now in the hands of jurors after both sides rested, with the defense wrapping its case in just minutes and calling only one witness.
Curtin did not take the stand. She is charged with simple rape and video voyeurism in connection with the 2014 incident.
Jurors must decide whether prosecutors proved Curtin knowingly participated in an assault captured on video.
MORE: State, defense rest in Melanie Curtain retrial
Bulk of the case centered on video evidence
At the center of the trial is an 18-minute video prosecutors say shows an assault involving Curtin, former Livingston Parish deputy Dennis Perkins and a woman they argue was unable to consent.
Jurors saw the video two times during the trial, including rewatching portions of that video before the state rested. The courtroom was cleared every time the video was shown.
Prosecutors argue the video shows the woman was unconscious and incapable of consent.
The woman testified she has no memory of the night and only learned what happened after investigators showed her the video years later.
“I don’t remember anything,” she told jurors during testimony.
MORE: Jury shown 18-minute video found on Dennis Perkins hard drive
Expert testimony allowed, but limited
A major issue during the trial was whether a toxicology expert could testify about the woman’s condition.
After a legal battle that reached the Louisiana Supreme Court, the state was allowed to call Dr. Patricia Williams, but only in a limited capacity.
She was permitted to explain general signs of intoxication, including what is considered a “stupor,” but was not allowed to give any opinions about the video itself.
MORE: Judge excludes toxicology testimony, jurors hear 2020 interview on Perkins relationship
MORE: Details on opening statements in Melanie Curtin retrial
One witness, no Curtin testimony
The defense began and rested its case in about 13 minutes, calling just one witness.
That witness testified she had a sexual relationship with Perkins and described similar behavior, saying he would give instructions, including asking her to take sleep medication, lie down and pretend to be asleep during sexual encounters.
She said she later ended the relationship.
During cross-examination, she testified she remembered those encounters and said she did not consume alcohol during them.
History of the case
Curtin’s case surfaced during the 2019 arrests of Dennis Perkins and his wife, Cynthia Perkins. However, Curtin was not accused of any crimes involving children or the allegations that bodily fluids were placed in pastries or drinks. Both Dennis and Cynthia Perkins later pleaded guilty, avoiding a trial.
Curtin was arrested in February 2020 after investigators found a video recorded in November 2014 during a search of former Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy Dennis Perkins’ home.
The search uncovered 17 external devices including hard drives and cameras placed throughout the house. On one of the hard drives, investigators found a video showing Curtin, Perkins and another woman engaged in sexual activity. Prosecutors say the woman in the video was unconscious.
Prosecutors argue the woman could not consent and was raped.
Curtin’s attorneys argue Curtin was drugged and that the woman was pretending to be unconscious because that was something Perkins liked.
One key issue in Curtin’s first trial involved the woman’s testimony that she would never consent to what was shown in the video.
Curtin’s attorneys tried to introduce evidence they said suggested otherwise, but Judge Brian Abels ruled that information could not be presented to the jury under Louisiana’s rape shield law, which limits the use of a victim’s sexual history in court.
The First Circuit Court of Appeal later ruled that decision, along with two other evidentiary rulings, prevented Curtin from receiving a fair trial and overturned her convictions.
The appellate court wrote that the rape shield law cannot override a defendant’s constitutional right to present a full defense.
The broader case and Curtin’s connection to it is discussed in depth in UWK’s podcast, Louisiana Unfiltered.
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