ROCKLAND, Maine — A jury Wednesday afternoon acquitted a Rockport woman who had been accused of assaulting her boyfriend by biting him.
The case was unusual, in that the prosecution went ahead with the case even though the alleged victim did not testify.
Ariana Scott, 24, had been charged with domestic violence assault for the incident that occurred July 22 at their home in Rockport. Scott also had been accused of violating her probation on a drug possession conviction by committing the assault. After the jury verdict in Knox County Unified Court, Justice Daniel Billings ruled Scott had not violated her probation.
The jury — consisting of 10 men and two women — took less than a half-hour to deliberate before reaching its verdict.
Assistant District Attorney Christopher Fernald told jurors during his opening statements Wednesday morning that the case was a little bit unusual, in that they would not hear from the victim. He said the jury was not to speculate on why the boyfriend was not testifying.
Domestic violence is a serious problem in Maine and Knox County, Fernald said, and in some cases the offender is a woman and the victim a man.
“This doesn’t make it any less serious,” Fernald said.
Two Knox County deputies testified that Scott admitted to biting her boyfriend on the back of the arm and that she said she had not been assaulted that evening. Fernald also presented photographs of the man’s injury.
Defense attorney Jeremy Pratt told jurors during his opening statement that this was a case of self-defense and that his client had been the victim of the boyfriend’s violence multiple times before that evening. Pratt said the man repeatedly had punched her in the face and pulled her by the hair and assaulted her sister and mother on earlier occasions.
Scott testified during the one-day trial that she had called 911 because her boyfriend was high and often became violent when he got that way. She then called 911 back and told them there was no need to come, but officers responded nonetheless.
Pratt said his client did not mention the violence against her when deputies arrived because she believed it would make things worse. Scott did tell the deputies she was scared, but they did not ask her why, Pratt pointed out.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and would like to talk with an advocate, call 866-834-4357, TRS 800-787-3224. This free, confidential service is available 24/7 and is accessible from anywhere in Maine.