Sexual assault charges dropped
The criminal case was dropped against a Venetia man who faced trial on sexual assault and other charges in connection with an incident two years ago.
Washington County Judge Michael Lucas signed an order Friday allowing the prosecution to drop charges of rape, sexual assault and indecent assault against Marco Pieretti, 21, of Timberlake Drive.
Jury selection in Pieretti’s trial was scheduled for Monday. The charges against him stemmed from an allegation he raped a woman at her home in Venetia in June 2014 after her younger brother invited him to a party there. She testified at a preliminary hearing in December 2014 she’d had two drinks before the alleged incident and blacked out for most of it.
Assistant District Attorney Kristin Clingerman wrote in an “application for nolle prosequi,” also dated Friday, that the victim stands by testimony she gave at the previous hearing in the case but “strongly believes that proceeding through the rigors of trial will not be in her best interests at the present time.”
Attorney Wendy Williams, who represented Pieretti, said her client maintains his innocence and was prepared to dispute the prosecution’s assertion the incident was a rape.
“We were always planning on fighting the charges,” Williams said.