One of the city’s most successful civil rights attorneys remains under investigation in a rape case. Police seized many of his personal belongings for a second day including his mattress. NY1′s Dean Meminger filed the following report.
Officers entered high powered civil rights attorney Sanford Rubenstein’s penthouse apartment once again leaving with more potential evidence.
Also there was Rubenstein’s own high profile defense attorney, Ben Brafman.
“No, he hasn’t been questioned at all,” Brafman says.
Sources say police are still investigating allegations by a National Action Network board member, that Rubenstein raped her.
The encounter allegedly took place after they left a birthday bash for Al Sharpton, the head of the Network, last week.
Sources say the attorney has admitted to having consensual sex once that night and again the following morning. But the woman says she passed out after having something to drink in the apartment.
“We do not believe based on what we know to be the case that Sanford Rubenstein committed any crime whatsoever,” Brafman says.
Rubenstein has won tens of millions of dollars against the city, the NYPD and other agencies in civil cases—including those of Abner Louima, Amadou Diallo and Sean Bell.
Mayor Bill de Blasio says regardless of that, a fair investigation will be done.
“We have to treat everyone equally. They first have to see where the justice system goes with this and then there will of course be due process,” de Blasio says.
Attorney Eric Sanders, who used to be a NYPD officer, says this is not an easy case.
“It boils down to a credibility issue of who do you believe. Because especially when you have a person who says, ‘Yes, we did have—I had contact with this person. It was consent.’ And the other person says there was no consent,” Sanders says.
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance isn’t commenting. Brafman says he thinks law enforcement is being cautious.
“I think it is standard operating procedure, especially when there is a high profile person,” Brafman says.
Rubenstein represents the family of Eric Garner. He died after police tried to arrest him. Reverend Sharpton met with Garner’s family Monday to explain what’s going on.
This weekend Sharpton is expected to announce if his friend, Rubenstein stays on as the family’s attorney.
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