Jury finds Shorewood woman guilty of spitting on teen
MILWAUKEE - The jury found a Shorewood woman accused of spitting in a teenager's face during protests in June 2020 guilty of misdemeanor disorderly conduct on Wednesday, April 19. The verdict came after roughly three hours of deliberation.
"The only reason she spit towards (Eric Lucas), on him, on the ground, wherever it went is because he charged up to her with his hands around his mouth and screamed in her face," said Anthony Cotton, Rapkin's defense attorney.
Attorneys made closing arguments in the third day of the trial on Wednesday morning.
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Rapkin testified in her defense Tuesday. She said she turned onto the street, could not turn around, and left her car. Rapkin said she was scared, but walked towards the front of the marchers while being filmed and followed. At the head of the group was then-17-year-old Eric Lucas.
Rapkin did not deny spitting, but said on the stand Tuesday that she did not spit on him, but at the ground.
"You think she spit on the ground. You believe her when she told you that yesterday, under oath, you believe she spit on the ground? Not guilty. In like a minute. It shouldn't take very long if you believe that story from her... Listen to Stephanie Rapkin back on June 6 when she's talking to cops. Listen to her tell you what she did," said James Griffin, Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney.
The state said Rapkin changed her story to try and get out of a conviction.
Rapkin did not want to talk after leaving the courtroom Wednesday.
"I thought it was a fair trial," said Cotton. "We had our day in court. We were able to present her side of the story and the jury disagreed. That's sometimes the way the cookie crumbles, if you will. We respect the jury's verdict."
The prosecutor declined to comment after the verdict.
Sentencing for Rapkin on the misdemeanor charge is set for the morning of May 23. She still has a felony count relating to an altercation with a police officer at her home. That is set to go to trial in August. But Rapkin's defense attorney tells FOX6 News they hope to resolve that case in the coming months.