Verdict delivered in October's fabricated attack
By NIKKI COLLINS
The Santa Clara junior who allegedly fabricated a story about a man entering her home and rendering her unconscious in early October entered a plea of no contest to filing a false police report on Dec. 27, 1999. She was sentenced to one-year court probation and fined $100."When you get a 20-year-old girl who hasn't been in the criminal justice system, that's not an uncommon punishment," Santa Clara Police Department Public Information Officer Sergeant Anton Morec said. "It's typical."
Although the girl did not plead guilty in court, she said in a letter given to SCPD on Nov. 3, 1999, "I was not attacked at my home, [and] did not sustain the injuries reported."
"I did not plead guilty in court," the girl, who wishes to remain anonymous, said. "I plead no contest, which is [an] entirely different thing. I did it to get through the system quickly and without further attention."
The girl's attorney, Mike Armstrong, explains further.
"She, her family and I made the decision to plead no contest to the charge because it was the only way to put the matter to rest quickly in the court system with minimal media attention and respect to her privacy," Armstrong said. "It also enables her to get these events behind her in the quickest way possible, and to have the best chance of clearing her record within the next few months."
The no contest plea, commonly used in misdemeanor matters, tells the court that the charge will not be contested at that time.
On Nov. 10, 1999, the girl was arrested and booked on an outstanding arrest warrant charging her with one count of 148.5 of the Penal Code, filing a false police report, according to Morec."[The girl] was informed on Nov. 12, 1999 that a charge had been filed, so she voluntarily went down to the police station to fill out the appropriate paperwork," Armstrong said.
The girl agrees.
"I merely went down to the station, filled out the papers and agreed to pay for services rendered," the girl said.
The Santa Clara Police Department billed the girl for the cost of a Sexual Assault Response Team exam, and for the police artist's drawing of the alleged assault suspect that was posted across campus.
"She's into the system $950 total," Morec said. "The SART test and police artist's rendition cost $850 alone."
On Nov. 27, the girl wrote a check in the amount of $850 payable to the City of Santa Clara for the aforementioned expenses.
The case is closed.
"She was fined and can get on with her life, and hopefully she learned something," Morec said.It is unclear as to whether or not the university has taken any disciplinary action.
"Because of the educational privacy rights of students, I can't disclose any information that might be related to the case," Dean of Student Life and Leadership Jeanne Rosenberger said. "Students' rights are protected under the Federal Education Privacy Act."
The girl is still enrolled in classes at Santa Clara, according to the office of Student Records.