A jury has found Officers Kenneth Moreno and Franklin Mata NOT GUILTY of rape after six days of deliberation. Both officers were charged with rape felonies; prosecutors alleged that Moreno raped the unidentified woman while Mata stood watch. The jury also acquitted the officers of burglary (for taking her keys), criminal facilitation, and falsifying records. The verdict was announced at 11 a.m., and the Times reports that the jury did convict both officers of official misconduct for entering the woman’s apartment, "but found them not guilty of all other charges, including burglary and falsifying business records."

Moreno and Mata face up to a year in prison for the criminal misconduct rap, which stems from them not calling an ambulance for the woman. The decision comes after more than two years of sensational media coverage that proved shocking even to New Yorkers accustomed to NYPD scandal. But more is yet to come; the accuser still has a $57 million lawsuit pending against the city.

Update (9/9/11): Gothamist has published a long-form feature about the Rape Cop case, written by one of the jurors. It takes you behind the scenes during their deliberations, and explains how they came to their controversial verdict. Buy it today as a PDF or on Kindle.



