A lawyer for a wealthy Tennessee businessman who was later found not guilty in a Memphis rape trial made a comment during closing arguments Thursday that raised some eyebrows.
According to WHBQ, Steve Farese, attorney for Mark Giannini, said women are "especially good" at lying.
"People can be very good at lying," Farese said. "Women can be especially good at it because they're the weaker sex."
Memphis Area Women's Council Executive Director Deborah Clubb told USA Today that she was "stunned" by the comments.
"It's despicable," she said. "It's absolutely despicable."
Farese told USA Today that his job "is not to care if anybody gets offended" and "smart people will see it for what it is."
According to WHBQ, the jury on Friday found Giannini not guilty on all charges in case. A woman had claimed that he raped her in 2014 when she visited his Eads mansion for what she thought was a job interview.
As the verdict was read, the woman had an emotional breakdown in the courtroom. Giannini and Farese embraced one another.
The woman who accused him of rape has filed a $6 million lawsuit against Giannini.
If he had been found guilty, he would have faced up to 15 years in prison without the possibility of parole.
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