Trial of ex-HPD officer accused of rape resumes

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by a Houston police officer faced a lot of tough questions as his trial resumed on Tuesday.

The trial resumed after a two-and-half week recess. The alleged victim was on the stand all day.

Walking hand in hand with his wife, Abraham Joseph entered the courtroom as the trial against him resumed. The former Houston police officer is accused of handcuffing, then sexually assaulting, a woman several times while on duty last January.

The alleged victim told the court Tuesday, "He asked my name and put it in the computer. From there he pulled on my dress and started touching my legs."

She was cross-examined all day.

"We knew that this would happen, that there would be a lot of inconsistencies. We're counting on the jurors to pay careful attention and listen to what she is saying so they can decide for themselves whether they think this witness is being truthful," defense attorney Nicole Deborde said.

The woman admitted there were small inconsistencies in her story but told the court, "After what he did to me, my brain is not working right. I don't remember many things."

Still, she maintained she was doing her best to remember, saying "I know what I'm saying is the truth and I swear on my children that I'm telling the truth."

KTRK Legal Analyst Joel Androphy points out the alleged assault happened nearly two years ago and jurors will take that into account.

"The average juror is going to sit back and is going to say I may not have remembered that. So that's not effective cross-examination unless you can get to a point," Androphy said.

He believes Tuesday's lengthy cross-examination will make jurors want to see Joseph on the stand.

"If you're going to nitpick at every little thing that a witness does, you better have another witness or your defendant better come in there and explain why there are discrepancies," Androphy said.

"Do you expect the defendent to take the stand later on in the trial?" we asked Deborde.

"We'll have to wait and see," she replied.

Prosecutors are expected to call 10-15 more witnesses before it's the defense's turn to call witnesses to the stand. Attorneys say the trial could take at least another week.

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