Judge to allow sex offender to question witnesses in Virginia locker room case
Ask who never gets charged.
ARLINGTON, Virginia – A judge in Virginia will allow Richard Cox, a registered child sex offender, to question witnesses at trial in a case centered in part on allegations of indecent exposure.
Cox is facing dozens of charges in the case, Commonwealth v. Richard Cox, for entering female locker rooms and allegedly walking around naked for hours. Judge Daniel T. Lopez agreed on Friday to allow Cox to waive the right to representation on some charges, meaning that during the trial, Cox will make arguments and question witnesses on the stand.
Cox, a biological male, identifies as transgender and was able to enter the locker rooms because Arlington County allows people to use the restroom of their gender identity over their biological sex.
A mugshot of Richard K. Cox. (Arlington County Police Department)
The Commonwealth had argued that witnesses would experience serious emotional distress if questioned by Cox, who called the argument an “absurdity.” Cox countered that being barred from cross-examination because “an adult saw another adult naked in the locker room” is a “slippery slope of violations to due process.”
Cox did agree to submit written questions for the two minor witnesses, 16- and 17-year-old lifeguards from Wakefield High School. The school has a pool open to the public for swim classes outside school hours. Adult witnesses whom Cox will be able to question include a mother who had a child under the age of 12 with her and allegedly saw Cox masturbating in the shower.
The judge issued a warning to Cox during Friday’s proceedings.
“You want to talk about slippery slopes? You’re sliding down the slippery slope to me, either appointing you to represent yourself on everything or nothing,” Lopez said. “This trial is not going to be an opportunity for you to get on a soapbox and turn your questions into testimony. If it does, I’ll hear an objection, and I’ll stop you, and if you continue to do it, I will dress you down in front of the jury, and that will be on you, not me, because I am not going to allow you to disrupt this proceeding because you feel you have a political axe to grind.”
Back in 1993, Cox wrote to a judge, while in jail, that public exposure and being naked in front of young girls gave Cox sexual gratification. These letters were banned from being used as evidence in the previous trial.
Cox claimed not to have enough time to prepare for the hearing and requested more time to argue on whether the letters will be admissible in …
Ask who never gets charged.
ARLINGTON, Virginia – A judge in Virginia will allow Richard Cox, a registered child sex offender, to question witnesses at trial in a case centered in part on allegations of indecent exposure.
Cox is facing dozens of charges in the case, Commonwealth v. Richard Cox, for entering female locker rooms and allegedly walking around naked for hours. Judge Daniel T. Lopez agreed on Friday to allow Cox to waive the right to representation on some charges, meaning that during the trial, Cox will make arguments and question witnesses on the stand.
Cox, a biological male, identifies as transgender and was able to enter the locker rooms because Arlington County allows people to use the restroom of their gender identity over their biological sex.
A mugshot of Richard K. Cox. (Arlington County Police Department)
The Commonwealth had argued that witnesses would experience serious emotional distress if questioned by Cox, who called the argument an “absurdity.” Cox countered that being barred from cross-examination because “an adult saw another adult naked in the locker room” is a “slippery slope of violations to due process.”
Cox did agree to submit written questions for the two minor witnesses, 16- and 17-year-old lifeguards from Wakefield High School. The school has a pool open to the public for swim classes outside school hours. Adult witnesses whom Cox will be able to question include a mother who had a child under the age of 12 with her and allegedly saw Cox masturbating in the shower.
The judge issued a warning to Cox during Friday’s proceedings.
“You want to talk about slippery slopes? You’re sliding down the slippery slope to me, either appointing you to represent yourself on everything or nothing,” Lopez said. “This trial is not going to be an opportunity for you to get on a soapbox and turn your questions into testimony. If it does, I’ll hear an objection, and I’ll stop you, and if you continue to do it, I will dress you down in front of the jury, and that will be on you, not me, because I am not going to allow you to disrupt this proceeding because you feel you have a political axe to grind.”
Back in 1993, Cox wrote to a judge, while in jail, that public exposure and being naked in front of young girls gave Cox sexual gratification. These letters were banned from being used as evidence in the previous trial.
Cox claimed not to have enough time to prepare for the hearing and requested more time to argue on whether the letters will be admissible in …
Judge to allow sex offender to question witnesses in Virginia locker room case
Ask who never gets charged.
ARLINGTON, Virginia – A judge in Virginia will allow Richard Cox, a registered child sex offender, to question witnesses at trial in a case centered in part on allegations of indecent exposure.
Cox is facing dozens of charges in the case, Commonwealth v. Richard Cox, for entering female locker rooms and allegedly walking around naked for hours. Judge Daniel T. Lopez agreed on Friday to allow Cox to waive the right to representation on some charges, meaning that during the trial, Cox will make arguments and question witnesses on the stand.
Cox, a biological male, identifies as transgender and was able to enter the locker rooms because Arlington County allows people to use the restroom of their gender identity over their biological sex.
A mugshot of Richard K. Cox. (Arlington County Police Department)
The Commonwealth had argued that witnesses would experience serious emotional distress if questioned by Cox, who called the argument an “absurdity.” Cox countered that being barred from cross-examination because “an adult saw another adult naked in the locker room” is a “slippery slope of violations to due process.”
Cox did agree to submit written questions for the two minor witnesses, 16- and 17-year-old lifeguards from Wakefield High School. The school has a pool open to the public for swim classes outside school hours. Adult witnesses whom Cox will be able to question include a mother who had a child under the age of 12 with her and allegedly saw Cox masturbating in the shower.
The judge issued a warning to Cox during Friday’s proceedings.
“You want to talk about slippery slopes? You’re sliding down the slippery slope to me, either appointing you to represent yourself on everything or nothing,” Lopez said. “This trial is not going to be an opportunity for you to get on a soapbox and turn your questions into testimony. If it does, I’ll hear an objection, and I’ll stop you, and if you continue to do it, I will dress you down in front of the jury, and that will be on you, not me, because I am not going to allow you to disrupt this proceeding because you feel you have a political axe to grind.”
Back in 1993, Cox wrote to a judge, while in jail, that public exposure and being naked in front of young girls gave Cox sexual gratification. These letters were banned from being used as evidence in the previous trial.
Cox claimed not to have enough time to prepare for the hearing and requested more time to argue on whether the letters will be admissible in …
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