Watertown man found not guilty of rape; counsels react

WATERTOWN — A judge deliberated for less than 30 minutes Friday before he issued a not guilty verdict for a man accused of raping a girl younger than 8 years old. Sheldon B. Dukes, who was charged with felony first-degree course of sexual conduct against a child and predatory sexual assault against a child, walked out of the courtroom in tears Friday afternoon. Judge Kim H. Martusewicz, who presided over Mr. Dukes’s two-day bench trial in Jefferson County Court, ruled the prosecution did not meet its burden of proof. The not guilty verdict this week comes after a jury couldn’t decide if Dukes was innocent or guilty at a trial in March. Read Full Article

About the Author

David is a former military prosecutor and defense lawyer with over a decade of experience fighting for service members and their families. He served nine years and two combat tours as an active duty US Army officer, then joined the Reserves and settled down in Syracuse to be near family. Now representing people across Central New York charged with serious felonies, misdemeanors, DWIs, and traffic offenses, he puts the same level of commitment into his civilian law practice. If you have any questions regarding this article, you can contact David here.