<p>Adam M. Smith, a 27-year-old Berkeley, Calif. man visiting Martha’s Vineyard as part of a bachelor party weekend, was arraigned Tuesday in Edgartown district court on three counts of rape, threatening to commit a crime, and intimidating a victim.</p>
A 27-year-old Berkeley, Calif. man visiting Martha’s Vineyard as part of a bachelor party weekend was arraigned Tuesday in Edgartown district court on three counts of rape, threatening to commit a crime, and intimidating the victim of the crime.
The court entered not guilty pleas for Adam M. Smith, who is enrolled in a master’s program at the University of California Berkeley, according to his attorney.
Mr. Smith was held after his arrest on $100,000 bail at the Dukes County jail. The Hon. J. Thomas Kirkman lowered the bail to $25,000 at Tuesday’s arraignment.
According to Cape and Islands assistant district attorney Amanda Chaves, a woman and two of her friends agreed to return to a rental home where Mr. Smith and his friends were staying after a night out in downtown Edgartown. Reading from a six-page police report, Ms. Chaves told the court the woman went upstairs with Mr. Smith, became uncomfortable in the situation and tried to leave, and was held down and raped.
“She came downstairs and said they needed to leave,” Ms. Chaves told the court. “She said Adam (Smith) had threatened to kill her with a gun.”
Ms. Chaves argued for bail to remain at $100,000, citing a 2005 alcohol offense in Colorado which involved a default warrant issued by a local court. She also cited the lack of ties to Martha’s Vineyard.
Defense attorney J. Drew Segadelli, representing Mr. Smith, argued for bail to be set at $10,000. He said Mr. Smith had fully cooperated with the investigation.
“At no time is he hiding anything,” Mr. Segadelli told the court. “Police came to his house, he cooperated, he goes to the police station, cooperated. There are significant gaps and questions about what happened.”
In addition to setting bail at $25,000, Judge Kirkman ordered Mr. Smith to surrender his passport and have no contact with anyone involved in the case.
He was ordered to return to Edgartown district court on Oct. 30 for a pretrial hearing.
Edgartown police said they were called to a home in the Katama section of Edgartown just before 2 a.m. Saturday. Police say the alleged victim, a 30-year-old woman told them she was raped at a nearby house. The woman was taken to the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and interviewed there, police said.
Edgartown Lieut. Christopher Dolby said during the investigation police learned about a threatening Facebook post by Mr. Smith in which he allegedly threatened to kill police officers. Because of the incident and the Facebook post, the Martha’s Vineyard Law Enforcement Tactical Team was called to help with the arrest. Mr. Smith was arrested at about 7:45 a.m. Saturday, Lieutenant Dolby said.

Comments
Ladies listen up!! It's okay
Very Annoyed Vineyard HavenLadies listen up!! It's okay to have fun but DO NOT PUT YOURSELF in a DANGEROUS situation! As Momma always says, "No good happens after midnight"! There are many depraved individuals who look for easy prey. Ladies beware this could have ended badly!
This COULD have ended very
Stunned VHThis COULD have ended very badly? I would suggest it already did, and the knee-jerk move to blame the alleged victim is unfortunate.
I did end badly !
Edward EdgartownIt did end badly !
Helloooooooo......Looks like
BFHelloooooooo......Looks like it did end badly.
I would say it already ended
Kristen EdgartownI would say it already ended badly, wouldn't you??
It is always dissapointing
Very DissapointedIt is always dissapointing when the first comment on an article reporting a sexual assault is one that places blame on the victim. How about turning the instructive shame towards perpetrators- people, do not rape. Do have consent before touching others. Do not violate the basics rights of another human being. This is an appropriate dialogue in response to the situation, while I fear that lecturing women on making "safe" choices distracts from the actual problem.
Very Annoyed,
Sam MVVery Annoyed,
This DID end tragically.
Perhaps both you and the alleged rapist would benefit from some education about consent. In an ideal world you would have be taught sex ed, including consent, at home as well as at school to prevent any lapse in knowledge. It works well that way in many other more civilized and highly evolved nations.
I don't think the answer is to keep women under curfew. It doesn't keep them any safer in the places where they are covered from head to toe and kept away from unrelated men altogether. Women in such societies are at even greater risk. You see, men who forcibly rape are the reason they rape, not women. Every time a girl or woman is limited in what she may wear, it send the message to boys and men that women are responsible for the behavior of men and boys. That is as stupid as telling the summer residents of the Vineyard that they can't build big beautiful homes and drive fancy cars here because the locals will break in and live there and steal their cars.
Very annoyed, don't you think
Dcsctown FalmouthVery annoyed, don't you think this did end badly? You say beware it could have.
I completely agree with ur "dangerous situation" comment!
Ending badly means death ---
Very Annoyed Vineyard HavenEnding badly means death --- Ted Bundy ring any bells!
What being raped isn't ending
Seriously? EdgartownWhat being raped isn't ending badly enough? And why does the woman have to watch out? Why isn't the man responsible for his own actions? We need to teach young boys and men just because you are with a woman "after midnight" ithis is not an invitation to rape. NO means NO. No matter what time of the day or night !! So men listen up! Be responsible for your actions!!
so very sorry for her - this
Bonnie e Josephs oak bluffs & Woodstock NYso very sorry for her - this is a sad situation repeated over & over. teach your children awareness ~ no one has the right to touch you unless you so wish. doubt justice will prevail even on MV it's always he said /she said. stay away from my daughter & just maybe get some professional help ~women r not yours 4 the taking buddy.
Whoa, folks, no-one has been
Bill AquinnahWhoa, folks, no-one has been convicted we don't know what actually happened! Let's not condemn either party until after trial. Remember here in the U.S, innocent until proven guilty.
The MV Times has a better
Jerry ChappyThe MV Times has a better explanation about what allegedly happened which makes one really say WTH???
--- the woman and her two friends met a group of men in town that evening at the Seafood Shanty bar. The men invited the women back to their rental house after the bar closed. ---
“At the house the female victim went into a bedroom alone with the assailant,” Lieutenant Chris Dolby said in a press release issued Monday afternoon. “At some point, the female victim became uncomfortable with the situation and tried to leave the bedroom."
I suppose that I ought never
PJF ArizonaI suppose that I ought never to blame alcohol and bar culture no matter whose side I am on. -- I never go to bars -- they are generally filthy hell-holes. -- Men and men, women and women; men and women -- WE ALL need to re-examine OUR lack of decency toward each other. -- Look at the rubbish we encounter on: Craigslist day-in-day-out. -- If I don't want to commit to a decent interaction with someone, an interaction which might end up in a long term relationship -- THEN -- I ought to stay at home and live celibate, happy and above all sober...! Tipsy females going to the home and wilfully entering the bedroom of a complete stranger is simply not acting responsibly.
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