Juror faints after watching graphic video of lawyer accused of trading sex for legal services
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Jurors considering the fate of a former Texas lawyer accused of trading sex with clients for legal services were so taken aback by a video of one rough sexual encounter on Tuesday that a judge sent them out of the courtroom for a break.
One juror fainted on the way out of the courtroom, report the San Antonio Express-News and KSAT.
Jurors are considering the fate of 48-year-old Mark Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer who is charged with continuous trafficking of persons.
The video was shown only to the jurors, but courtroom observers could hear the woman sobbing and saying, “Mark, it hurts! You’re hurting me. … Don’t be so rough.” The woman testified Benavides had recorded the sexual encounters.
A common theme among the women testifying against Benavides was that they felt the lawyer would give them poor legal representation if they didn’t agree to sex, KENS5 reports. One woman said Benavides told her that one of the perks of having sex with him was that he could get her cases dropped.
The judge excused the fainting woman from the jury and appointed an alternate.
The trial is scheduled to continue Monday.
