"This jury was looking for an excuse not to convict"

Ok, I'm not a lawyer, but... does voir dire not exist in Waco or something? Sounds like this prosecutor is just passing the buck SUPER hard on this one. They had a solid case and they still just hit the panic button.

I mean, I GET it- highest burden of proof for criminal cases, and the victim really didn't help her case by saying she was drugged when she meant she was passed out- that's the kind of mistake that opens the door to reasonable doubt, when you make that kind of statement that is proven to be false.

Rich kid's lawyers probably threatened to spin that as evidence of malicious deception on the part of the victim. It sucks, but it's still a possibility- girl got drunk, did something she regretted when she got sober, roughed herself up, lied about the whole thing to police. As absurdly unlikely as that is, it's no longer a 0% chance. That's a chance for aquittal right there, worst case scenario. And then the public would start doubting the victim too, making her life even harder.

So I guess it's better for the prosecutor to offer an outrageous plea bargain, publicly blame rape culture to cover up the lack of confidence, and hope the general population's dragging his name through the mud will be punishment enough. Seems like a shitty situation all around.