SPOKANE — A judge has declared a mistrial in the case against former Spokane Police Sgt. Gordon Ennis, who is accused of raping another officer at a party in 2015.
The Spokesman-Review reports Ennis’ lawyer Rob Cossey requested a mistrial because of a Spokesman-Review story he considers biased toward the prosecution. Spokane County Superior Court Judge James Triplet granted Cossey’s request on Monday.
Cossey argued the newspaper’s coverage was unfair and implied he would have disparaged the plaintiff in court.
Prosecutors demanded the victim not be called a “slut” in the courtroom. They also motioned to ban references to her sexual history.
