Alvin Campbell Jr., who prosecutors accuse of posing as a rideshare driver to pick up and then rape women, appeared in court for the first time since his last trial date was canceled.
Campbell, 42, was indicted in March 2020 for allegedly raping and otherwise sexually assaulting nine women between 2017 and 2019 while posing as an Uber driver. At least two trial dates had been set and called off.
“Campbell masqueraded as a rideshare driver and in one case a bar employee, and targeted women at venues in the downtown Boston area who were too intoxicated to consent to sex or to resist his assaults,” prosecutor Lynn Feigenbaum summarized in a new statement of the case — after more sexual assaults had been added — in March 2021. “He used his own cellphone to record his crimes against these defenseless victims.”
Wednesday afternoon’s hearing in Suffolk Superior Court was, as Feigenbaum put it, for the attorneys to hash out some of the “discovery issues that have plagued this matter.”
Those include several defense motions, including “reasonable bail” for Campbell, who has remained detained. He appeared in court in both a suit and handcuffs.
“Tell me why I should not find your client dangerous after two Superior Court judges already have,” Judge Michael Doolin said at Wednesday afternoon’s hearing.
Defense attorney Anthony Lochiatto reiterated his motion’s argument that “the charge of rape does not necessarily involve the use of force as that term is defined” in state law, and that the Supreme Judicial Court had noted, “Although sexual intercourse necessarily requires physical contact, we conclude that it does not require ‘physical force’ within the meaning of” applicable state law.
It was an argument that Feigenbaum had found “abhorrent,” according to discussion at the hearing.
Doolin set a deadline for additional information from attorneys by Nov. 1.
The accused is the brother of former city councilor and attorney general candidate Andrea Campbell.
