A former sex-crimes prosecutor analyzed Ford's allegations against Kavanaugh. Here's her take.

[DonViejo]

By Deanna Paul
September 18 at 6:00 AM
Soon after Christine Blasey Ford was revealed as the author of a letter alleging that Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her decades ago, the responses ran along predictable lines. While some argued that she should be heard, others questioned how much of her memory can be trusted.

Amid a spate of speculation, The Washington Post published an exclusive account of the assault on Sunday, identifying Ford. Kavanaugh issued a statement denying the accusations, but after heated pushback from politicians and the public, Kavanaugh agreed to questioning by the Senate panel Monday. A second hearing, where Kavanaugh and Ford will both testify publicly, is scheduled for next week. The results threaten to thwart his confirmation.

Critics of Ford have taken to calling into question whether it’s possible for a 30-year-old memory to be credible.

Sex crimes prosecutors across the country forge ahead on “he-said-she-said” cases regularly.

“I stand to believe there’s no such thing as a ‘he-said-she-said’ case,” Linda Fairstein, former chief of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office’s Sex Crimes Bureau, told The Post. “As a prosecutor, it’s your job to break down every minute of the encounter so that details on one side pushes the facts over the edge.”

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/09/18/former-sex-crimes-prosecutor-analyzed-fords-allegations-against-kavanaugh-heres-her-take/

[samnsara]

1. I think traumatic events are etched in the mids of the victims forever

...because its just yesterday that it happened..

[redstatebluegirl]

2. You are right unless it has happened to you you have no idea.

It never leaves, it comes around late at night, or when something triggers the memory and it is clear as day....

[Pacifist Patriot]

6. Yep

[asiliveandbreathe]

3. I will say it again...how do you forget someone holding their hand over your mouth

to prevent you from screaming? - just the thought of that happening sends shivers up my spine...how do you EVER forget being in a most frightening situation..

As Ron Klain said last night....there should be experienced people to do the questioning and the FBI needs to do a thorough vetting of both witnesses....and yes, Mark Judge needs to be put under oath as well...

[lagomorph777]

7. Harris, Feinstein, Blumenthal are all prosecutors - all are experienced people.

I may have missed some too.

[asiliveandbreathe]

9. An independent experienced person,,that's all.. hatch and grassley should recuse..considering

their reputation and bias precedes them...

[Zoonart]

4. For me this is the money quote:

Wigdor echoed Fairstein, saying: “She put a third person in the room. If you were making something up, why would you do that?”

[BeckyDem]

8. The power of her accusation is right there. Who makes that up?

[grantcart]

15. Exactly

[Pacifist Patriot]

17. I can't get over the people saying "but there were no witnesses."

Yes there were. There were three.

[Pacifist Patriot]

5. I was raped at 17 years of age and didn't tell anyone...

except for my husband until the Stanford rape sentencing. That was what opened it back up for me and I could finally talk.

Those who say you can't remember anything from 30+ years ago are dead wrong. (Tucker Carlson fuck right on off!) This article has it right. I may not remember what I was wearing or even which date it was exactly. But one Saturday night in October 1986 I was raped in my bed in my college dorm room. The top bunk. I distinctly remember waking up to a fumbling drunk crawling on top of me.

My rapist was in, what I thought at the time, was my group of friends. My roommate was gone for the weekend and his roommate had a girlfriend visiting. I told him he was welcome to crash in my roommate's bed if it got too uncomfortable with the girlfriend in his room. I thought I was being nice by giving him an option and his roommate some privacy. I had no idea he would turn out to be a drunken privileged prep school asshole who assumed he had the right to treat me like an object.

I woke up as he fell on top of me and he put his arm across my neck and applied pressure. I don't know if he was threatening me, silencing me, or just too drunk to be able to tell how he was awkwardly balancing himself on top of me. I too experienced the chilling fear that he was going to misjudge the pressure and I would either pass out or die. To this day I cannot wear choker type jewelry, tight necked clothing, and jump about six feet off the ground if someone touches my neck. Absent-mindly scratching an itch on the front of my neck/throat area myself can trigger feelings of chilling fear! My husband knows never to kiss me with tequila on his breath.

The next day he had the audacity to tell our group of friends we had hooked up and had sex. I denied it. They automatically believed him and shunned me as a liar. I spent a lonely couple of months finding a new group of friends since this happened freshmen year right about the time cliques were solidifying. It was just a couple of weeks before my 18th birthday. My mom had a cake delivered to me. I threw it in the trash. I had no one to share it with.

I didn't feel I owed it to them to admit to being raped and considering how they responded when I said we hadn't "hooked up," I have no doubt the shunning would have been accompanied by even harsher rebuke.

The similarities between what happened to me and what happened to Professor Ford have been weighing on my mind since they came out in the media. I am furious at how she is being treated. Some details fade. The core experience of being violated does not - and never will.

Her story has too many compelling details that ring all too familiar and therefore true.

Wish I could give her a hug and tell her I believe her. And thank her for having the courage to come forward. She's braver than I would be under the circumstances. Thank goodness my rapist didn't amount to anything. Hopefully he's dead.

[malaise]

10. Damn

[Pacifist Patriot]

13. Thanks

[HipChick]

11. So sorry this happened to you...had tears in my eyes reading this..

[Pacifist Patriot]

14. Thanks

So did I.

[irisblue]

12. I think you are very brave. Thank you for telling us

[Pacifist Patriot]

16. Thank you. It's getting easier.

The first time I uttered the words in public were the Sunday after the verdict was announced. I was scheduled to deliver a sermon on a completely different topic and found I couldn't speak when I powered up my Kindle. I stepped down from the pulpit and said, "I have to share something with you." and told the UU congregation. Their response and support has meant a lot. Sharing helps, if it's the right crowd. I can't imagine being on the national stage and the onslaught of hatred from those who don't want it to be true. I imagine it may feel like being violated all over again in a slightly different way.

[roamer65]

18. I'm sorry.

If I would have been around, the asshole would have been dealt with pretty harshly. He would have been getting a lot of dental work done. I would have left a lifelong impression on his face.

[Pacifist Patriot]

19. I appreciate that.

[roamer65]

20. It took a lot of courage for you to tell us.