June 22, 2004

What do you do if a rape defendant is an identical twin, and he's accusing his brother of the crime? DNA evidence won't save the day, as monozygotic twins share identical DNA. Furthermore, eyewitness testimony is bound to be skewed. Wouldn't want to be a juror on this one.
posted by pyrrthon1 20 years ago
  • This was NOT the right headline to read first thing in the morning. I think my head just exploded. Interesting questions though.
  • I initially read it as one twin raping another. Anywho, looks like a triplet better get on the raping ball. "One of my other two brothers did it."
  • freethought - that's exactly how I read it too. It made me take a serious double take. I don't know how the law could work in this case. I doubt very much that either twin could be held guilty 'beyond a reasonable doubt'. There's always that question there.... I'd be curious to watch how this plays out.
  • Even worse is having an identical twin brother who's such a scumbag that he'd let you take the fall for his crime.
  • Simple: jail them both. Salomonic, me?
  • Flagpole is right jail them both because if they have the same DNA they are obviously the same in all ways. One brother just beat the other to the punch /sarcasm "jurors had been unaware that Fernandez was already serving a long prison sentence for a rape conviction. During that trial he had used the same defense: maybe his brother did it." Great brother, hunh?
  • I wonder what they give each other on their birthday. Subpoenas?
  • MonkeyFilter: better get on the raping ball.
  • This reminds me of a Mickey Spillane novel, where one of the characters has a twin who commits a murder to frame his more prominent brother...