Judge Refuses to Release Officer Charged in Rape
A Long Beach police sergeant arrested on rape charges will not be allowed to go home with an electronic surveillance bracelet because such monitoring “provides no protection to the community against violent crimes,” a judge ruled Thursday.
San Pedro Municipal Judge Elizabeth A. Baron denied a request by Sgt. Robert Ballew’s attorney to release the officer from jail. Instead, Baron increased Ballew’s bail from $175,000 to $220,000.
Ballew was arrested Sept. 15 on attempted rape charges. On Sept. 30, he was charged with rape in connection with an attack on another woman nearly six years ago, a case that was dropped at the time because of inconsistencies in the woman’s testimony. Ballew has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
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