Former Indiana University student John P. Enochs has been charged with rape in two different cases, but just last week was able to accept a plea deal dropping both felony charges—leaving him with only one year's probation and no prison time. The 22-year-old spent only one night in jail last fall because he was able to post bail the next day. As in Brock Turner's case, the news about Enochs has caused outrage.
According to The New York Times, "Enochs pleaded guilty to one count of battery with moderate bodily injury." Prosecutors wanted to charge him with a felony, but his age and lack of prior convictions caused the judge to reduce this charge to a misdemeanor. The Huffington Post reports this crime is usually a level 6 felony in the state of Indiana. Along with probation, Enochs has to pay $183 in court costs. Even though Enochs had had marijuana and alcohol charges pressed against him in the past and was facing sexual assault charges from two different women, prosecutors ultimately decided there was not enough evidence to win a trial against him.
The more recent charge brought against Enochs was after a party hosted by his fraternity, Delta Tau Delta, on April 11, 2015. Court documents explain that the woman accusing Enochs reported to police that when she was trying to find a bathroom in the house, she found herself in a bedroom with an unknown male having sex with her, even though she knows she repeatedly say "no." Video surveillance gives proof that she did enter and leave the room with Enochs, and showed her possibly hugging Enochs as she left—which lawyers could have used to pass doubt on the victim's rape claims. DNA evidence proved that the two had sex, but found the DNA of two other men as well. While a nurse found a laceration in the victim's genital area, there was no way to prove Enochs was the one who caused it, because of the presence of other DNA.
A second woman came forward to push criminal charges against Enochs as well. She says in a police affidavit that in October of 2013 she blacked out in her sorority house while drinking with Enochs, and was later told by friends that she had sex with her. Due to alcohol, she had no memory of the events of that night, making it hard to prosecute the case.
The woman from the 2013 case is now trying to file a civil complaint against the Delta Tau Delta chapter of Indiana University. The fraternity was placed on social restrictions for six months following the 2015 allegation, and Enochs was expelled, according to court documents obtained by Huffington Post, but the university would not give details as to the reason for expulsion.
