Bill to amend rape law introduced, supported

Idaho would amend its rape statute to address a recent Ada County case that was dismissed because a judge said it fell into a legal loophole, under legislation introduced unanimously today in the Senate Judiciary Committee. “As soon as I read about this in the paper, I called,” said Senate Judiciary Chairman Denton Darrington, R-Declo, who is sponsoring the bill and worked with the state prosecutors’ association to draft it. “I’ve had several legislators approach me on that,” he added.

Current law includes a definition of rape wherein the victim submits because she’s been falsely convinced that the perpetrator is her husband. But in the Ada County case, the perpetrator was masquerading as the victim’s boyfriend, not husband; the case was dismissed. Darrington said he views the legislation as a technical correction and expects it to pass easily.