April 09, 2019 - 8:31 AM
TULSA, Okla. - Prosecutors in Oklahoma have dismissed a rape charge against a retired Tulsa Oilers hockey player from Canada.
The Tulsa World reports that defence attorney Kent Hudson says he believes prosecutors don't have enough evidence to prosecute 50-year-old Doug Lawrence on charges of first-degree rape and sexual battery.
District Attorney Stephen Kunzweiler says prosecutors determined the case was "untenable," and dismissed the charges without prejudice, meaning his office could refile them later.
Court records show prosecutors allege Lawrence touched a woman's breast without her consent and raped her in 2017. Lawrence pleaded not guilty and was scheduled to go on trial Monday, the same day the charges were dismissed.
Lawrence, of Richmond, British Columbia, spent nine seasons playing for the Tulsa Oilers of the ECHL, a Double-A hockey league.
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Information from: Tulsa World, http://www.tulsaworld.com
News from © The Associated Press, 2019