Acquitted rape suspect seeks delay in lawsuit

Lexington Park teen turns 18 in Feb.

Friday, Jan. 29, 2010

A Lexington Park teenager acquitted of a rape charge has filed court papers stating that he and lawyers for the state of Maryland agree that his lawsuit against police should be shelved until he turns 18 next month.

The legal complaint filed in November on behalf of John Kendell Edison Jr. against two detectives, the state of Maryland and also two girls seeks $2 million in compensatory damages and $2 million in punitive damages on claims including malicious prosecution, defamation, false imprisonment and a violation of his constitutional rights.

Edison was 16 when he was arrested in 2008 on charges including second-degree rape from an alleged incident with a 12-year-old girl. Jurors acquitted Edison last winter at the end of a four-day trial.

The lawsuit accuses the 12-year-old and the other child of making false and misleading statements to police including the allegations of rape, and the legal complaint also alleges that detectives William Raddatz and Leo Nims mishandled the investigation.

An assistant attorney general filed a motion earlier this month to have the lawsuit dismissed on grounds that Edison is too young to legally pursue a lawsuit "in his own name," and that the law does not allow the litigants to agree to waive that issue.

Michael Winkelman, an attorney for Edison in the civil case, asked last week that the complaint be stayed until his client turns 18 on Feb. 25.

Winkelman wrote that the assistant attorney general has no opposition to that proposal.

The mothers of the two girls have contested the lawsuit's allegations against the two children.

"I totally disagree with the false statements in this lawsuit," the mother of one of the girls wrote in a court filing.

jwharton@somdnews.com