This could be one of the strangest stories out … well, this week. Prominent Twin Cities lawyer, Aaron Biber, has been charged with getting a 15-year old boy drunk and sexually assaulting him. I don’t know a lot more about the case than that.
In his defense, Biber claims that the 15 year old was in charge of the relationship, and as evidence of this, he has one or more photographs of the youth wearing an Adolph Hitler costume. A judge is current considering whether or not to allow the photographic evidence to be used in court.
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Wait–the fifteen year old was in charge of the relationship because he has a Hitler outfit? This must be some weird extension of the Fuehrer Principle. Either that or the lawyer is prone to Dr. Strangelove moments.
If this is a true story, I would expect a lawyer to understand age of consent laws a little better than that.
So his defense is he was only following orders?
Didn’t work so well the last time.
Strange indeed.
I can’t see the judge allowing those in. They would incredibly prejudicial and would have almost no probative value. So the kid’s a Nazi, what does that have to do with whether he was raped or not? Hell he might not even be a Nazi but might just have horrible taste in costumes.
Sounds like the classic make the victim look bad in court tactic.
You can’t *cause* yourself to be raped. Rape is *by* *definition* sex without your consent.
Good freaking grief.
So, is this guy expecting people to believe a 15 year old kid was his dom, he’s the sub, and the underage dom is charging him with rape?
Shit, not even furry porn has prepared me for that level of implausibility.
OK, here’s the thing: Biber is going down for assault, but in Minnesota, there is a big difference in sentencing between “Sexual assault of a minor” and “Sexual assault of a minor while in a position of authority.”
According to the Star Tribune: “Goldberger said the heart of the defense will be that the boy was more controlling than Biber. “He controlled when they got together … when they could talk and who would be in the dominant position” during sexual acts, Goldberger said.”
And, the fact that Biber is Jewish and the Hitler-dressed kid is not was part of the defense argument to allow the photos.
I guess a defense like this, though a long shot, might make sense in relation to the specific “authority” thingie.
I am guessing he isn’t much of a lawyer and doesn’t have much of a lawyer – unless the authority law is a whole lot different in MN, than it is here in MI.
“Position of authority” here, refers to teachers, parents, therapists, leaders in extracurricular activities (ie. scout leaders, ministers/church leaders, after-school program leaders, etc.), anyone employed or volunteering for public safety (cops, EMTs, firepersons, etc.) and doctors. I am sure I am missing some, but you get the drift. And it wouldn’t matter what the situation was – it is illegal.
The age of consent is sixteen in MI, unless you are an authority figure – in that case the age of consent is 21. Before the age of consent, it is illegal for anyone, but the consequences are considerably worse for persons in positions of authority. I would be shocked if there were any difference, except the age of consent, in MN law.
I don’t know where the authority things comes from in this case. Maybe he was a Big Brother or a Scout Leader or something)
In MI jurists are also authority figures.
As are politicians and people in authority over the parent of a given child.
Sorry, I meant to include jurists, but as that was actually the relevant category, of course I failed to mention it.
Police: You’re middle-aged, a lawyer, and the kid is fifteen years old and you fucked him. That’s rape, and it’s off to jail for you.
Biber: But he wore a Hitler outfit and was like totally in charge of the the relationship.
Police: Well, you can’t argue with that. Let him go.
———-
Somehow, I doubt that it is going to work out that way. I would like to get a picture of the judges face when Biber makes that argument. Or Biber’s face when he figures out that he is likely to be getting intensive empathy therapy from his roommates during his state sponsored vacation.
The kid was not a Nazi and not even anti-semetic until after the assault. After the assault he wanted to kill this guy. The kid knew this man since he was 11 years old. This attorney wants us to believe that he was “controlled” by a child? Good grief! Classic case of smearing the victim. Desperate times for Biber means desperate measures. It is truely pathetic.