A 17-year-old alleged rape victim – detained for a day on a warrant to ensure her appearance in court against the man accused of attacking her – has been freed by a judge in Sacramento but must wear an electronic monitor, reports the city’s Bee. “This case has charted thankfully rare legal territory,” said Judge Lawrence G. Brown. “It represented a difficult balancing of protecting the community from an alleged violent criminal and ensuring the integrity of the court subpoena process of a critical witness.”
The teen is one of two reported victims in the case against Frank William Rackley Sr., 37, who is scheduled for trial Monday. She was scheduled to testify against Rackley at his preliminary hearing and then at his trial, originally set for Feb. 28. She failed to appear for either session. She was abducted last year from a light-rail station and then driven away and raped by Rackley, according to the criminal complaint. She is reportedly terrified to face Rackley. The judge told the girl, “I am truly sorry for all that you have been through. I hope that you have been strengthened by the outpouring of community support and concern for you. You have demonstrated great courage for a young woman and may you continue to do so in the upcoming trial of Mr. Rackley.”