Circuit Judge Mary Lupo said she has ruled against most defense motions to disclose the sexual and psychological background of the alleged victim in the William Kennedy Smith rape trial.
Lupo said Tuesday her exact rulings on the rape shield law motions had been sealed and refused to be specific about them. She said she had not made decisions on two of the issues presented by the defense.Smith's lawyers have asked the court for permission to delve into the sexual past and psychological history of the 30-year-old Jupiter, Fla., woman who has accused Smith, 31, of raping her March 30 on the grounds of the Kennedy estate in Palm Beach.
Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom after Tuesday's proceedings, Smith said the glare of attention focused on him and his family because of his name has been unfair.
"I know I'm the one who's been charged and I'm the one who's on trial but it's difficult sometimes not to feel that my family's on trial for me and in some way I'm on trial for my family and that's really not fair to either of us," he said.
"The trial is really not about politics or personalities or public opinion," he said. "That's what we're trying to sort out in the process of jury selection. It's about the events of a particular night and the credibility, believability, of the two people involved. Who's telling a lie."