Prosecutors decline to file rape charge against former high-ranking city official

Los Angeles County prosecutors have declined to file charges against a former high-ranking Los Angeles city official who was under police investigation for allegedly raping a woman at his downtown condominium, authorities said.

Andrew Adelman, former general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, was placed on administrative leave in August by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa when the allegation became public. Several weeks ago, Adelman tendered his resignation.‬‪

"My client and his family are truly appreciative of the dispassionate and measured analysis by the D.A. that resulted in my client's vindication," said Adelman's attorney, Mark Geragos. "It's truly unfortunate that the city of L.A. has lost a dedicated public servant because of these unfounded allegations."

In a July 28 search warrant, Los Angeles Police Department investigators said they were told that the woman who made the allegations had gone out with friends on a pub-crawl July 10 in the downtown area. She told police she was drugged and that she awoke the next morning as she was being sexually assaulted by a man she later identified as Adelman, according to the affidavit.‬‪

Prosecutors cited several factors for their decision not to seek charges. They included a surveillance video and an interview with a cab driver who drove the pair to Adelman's car that evening. Neither the video nor the cab driver suggested that the woman appeared drugged. Authorities also said a drug test came up negative for a variety of substances. However, the test did not screen for typical date rape drugs such as Rohypnol, which disappear from the body quickly, and prosecutors noted that the test was not done until 42 hours after the time when the woman said she had been drugged.

Also, police surreptitiously recorded telephone calls between Adelman and the woman after the alleged drugging. Adelman "eventually acknowledged sexual acts took place, but did not admit to drugging her. He maintained that the victim had too much to drink," court papers said.

The victim told police she did consume alcohol, but not to the point of intoxication.

"Without some corroboration to support the allegation that the victim was drugged, this office cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a sexual assault occurred," prosecutors said in court papers.

--Andrew Blankstein

Comments

[Cal Godot]

Quite convenient that they failed to test for the most common "date-rape" drug, isn't it?

[HOMERUN]

Keeping score ???...
checks and balances ?...
if adelman was a non-public funded employee...think he would of been charged with a crime ???...
is it too late for polanski to somehow claim he used to be a public employee ???...it sure seems to work.

[SurfPuppy]

Authorities also said a drug test came up negative for a variety of substances. However, the test did not screen for typical date rape drugs, such as Rohypnol.
============================

The keystone kops strike again.

[JewelD]

"However, the test did not screen for typical date rape drugs, such as Rohypnol. "

Uh, what? The DA said this with a straight face?

Moreover, if "she had to much to drink", passed out, and she didn't give consent - it's obviously still rape. Men have certainly been convicted in those cases.

This smells of cronyism. I hope she has some really good lawyers.

[Jim Q. Citizen]

So what? It's legal to force yourself upon a drunk but not drugged woman? If I'm not mistaken, alcohol IS A DRUG and a very powerful one at that. Taking advantage of a woman who is in an impaired state is rape- except in Los Angeles when you're a member of the liberal power team. Absolutely disgusting.

[Ronaldo]

So if understand right it is OK to have sex with a strange drunken woman for a high ranking city official but it is not OK if you are a simple citizen. They know always how to protect themselves. Los Angeles becomes more and more Disneyland, kind of unreal and justice only for the little guys.

[josh Begin]

alex da silva didnt drug his girls either why didn't they let him go?
there was no violence either.

[jb]

Hhhhmmm.....Adelman "eventually acknowledged sexual acts took place"....
Notice how it doesn't say whether or not she consented??
If this had been Mr. Joe Blow.....he would be sitting in jail right now.....
Amerikan/California JUSTICE!!!
Gotta love it!!!

[Mr. Z]

Authorities also said a drug test came up negative for a variety of substances. However, the test did not screen for typical date rape drugs, such as Rohypnol.
***************************************
This smells of a cover up!!!

A date rape case and they chose NOT TO TEST FOR DATE RAPE DRUGS!!!

Give me a break...this is 100% cover up. He quits his job, they drop the charges...case closed.

Where's the justice when they justice system is this broken & corrupt???

[Sophia]

It has been clear all along that he is innocent and the Mayor's office is using these unfounded allegations to replace him with one of their own lackies (he had taken a hardline on not issuing anymore billboard permits despite great pressure by Mayor and a certain Councilmember). Why else, back in mid august, within minutes of this allegation becoming public, without any due process, mayor would issue a news release destroying his reputation. What happened to the concept of "innocent till proven guilty"? This guy was never arressted, never charged, never had to go to court, but Mayor's office treated him as if he is already convicted. Mayor's handling of this started a media frenzy. This was always about something else.... remember the movies Chinatown and LA Confidential. In 1909, it was the water, in 2009, it the billboards...

[Christine]

I don't know what happened, but drugs such as Rohypnol do not stay in the system long. In fact, unless the tested her urine the first time she had to go, after being drugged, they wouldn't have found it in her system anyway. Really sucks for her if what she said was true. These types of cases are hard to prove with physical evidence like drug tests.

[ferenc]

is this adelman related to that proessional politician with the samelast name? that explains the da(dumb arse) dropping the charges.

[Joe]

Sigh.

Plenty of guys wake up regretting who they've slept with the night before...but they don't try to destroy the woman as payback for their own misjudgement.

[Joe Garcia]

Why have authorities not tested for Rohypnol?

[Citytrucker]

Is this is a weak-kneed prosecutor, or is it favoritism for an official? His lawyer is overstating the facts in claiming vindication and the victim ought to sue the assailant in civil court. Let the jury decide what is true.

[Mario]

Attorney BS. He was not "vindicated" as stated by his attorney. The DA just didn't have enough to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Adelman admits the sex acts. He admits she was intoxicated. What does that say about his character when he took advantage of an intoxicated woman. Clearly it indicates he's a low life slime ball!

Dedicated Public Servant! Be serious. Read all the lawsuits and complaints against him by staff and the public. He's a NARCISSIST and a bully and should NOT be working for any government entity.

[Rick]

Unbelievable. Here's my take on it. He did indeed take advantage of a woman who was under the influence of alcohol and maybe a ruffie. He used dildos on the woman in a few orifices. That means he has issues keeping it up. He sexually assaulted the woman because he has personal insecurities, maybe because he's fat, bald and ugly. He thought he could get away with it because he was the head of a big city dept.

Now if he had approved those billboards as Antonio and others probably wanted, no one would have ever heard about the case. I think that's when others used this incident to get him fired. Don't get me wrong. He should be fired anyway for assaulting the woman. I'm just breaking it down from the city's point of view. The guy is a total douche.

[susan]

They did all the tests they could. There was no physical or collaberative evidance. The accuser did not go to the authorities until FOUR DAYS after the incident (which in itself indicates buyers remorse rather than anything else). She went to her own medical provider 42 hours after the incident and they did all the tests they could. Perhaps, they did not test for the things that pass through the body in less than 24 hours because she waited a long time (maybe she knew there was no drugs involved and that is why she waited to avoid being embarssed). Many people wake up and regret what they have done the night before (anyone who has had a hangover knows this).

[dtaylor]

So a woman goes out with a man and both consume alcohol and in the morning she can claim that she must have been given some kind of drug since she didn't remember giving consent. Hmmm... so was it the man's responsibility even though he was also intoxicated to gage her level of intoxication as well as his own? Gee if you believe that why should women who drink and drive be held responsible for their actions clearly it was a man's fault for forcing her to drink alcohol. Get a life and be responsible. Bad choices results in bad consequences. Stop blaming a man just because you can a free pass and some public sympathy. I guess now days "implied" consent depends on how a woman feels in the morning.

[Bob Skinner]

Why was the drug test done 42 hours after the alleged assault, did she wait to file the report, did the police wait to do the test?

She said that she was not intoxicated, video and cabby said that she did not look drugged, this would imply that she was not intoxicate. So how can he be guilty of raping a women who has pasted out? Why would she be in a bedroom with him or even ride in a taxi with him? Shows a degree of willingness, but she could have a change of mind. To many unanswered questions that the DA could not get answers to. charge of rape is easy to make by an alleged victim.

[la woman]

What Sophia said above is right on. Nuff said.