Chaos Erupts in Louisiana Cheerleader Rape Trial as Defense Attorney Invokes Victim's Name
Judge finds lawyer in contempt for including deceased victim's name in filing seeking to ban supporters from wearing pink.
The trial of three men accused of the gang rape and subsequent death of LSU cheerleader Madison Brooks was disrupted Monday when the attorney for one of the accused was charged with contempt of court. The incident occurred during a pre-trial hearing for Desmond Carter, 21, who faces charges alongside Kaivon Washington, 21, and Casen Carver, 22.
Attorney Caitlin Fowlkes, representing Carter, filed a motion requesting that supporters of Brooks be banned from wearing the color pink during the proceedings. Fowlkes argued that the presence of pink, which has become a symbol of solidarity for Brooks, could bias the jury against the defendants. The motion included copies of social media messages from Brooks' mother, Ashley Baustert, urging supporters to wear pink, but failed to redact the victim's name from the official court record.
Judge Gail Horne Ray, who had previously ruled that pink attire was permissible in the courtroom, found Fowlkes in contempt for violating state law that prohibits the names of sex crime victims from appearing in legal filings. Despite the ruling, Fowlkes was not ultimately punished for the oversight.
Morgan Brooks was allegedly raped in a car in January 2023 and then dumped on the side of a highway in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Moments later, she was fatally struck by an SUV. Prosecutors contend that Brooks was heavily intoxicated at the time, with a coroner's report indicating a blood alcohol level of .319, and that she had injuries consistent with rape. The defense has previously claimed that the sexual encounters were consensual.
Carter was 17 at the time of the alleged assault. According to investigators, Carter and Washington stated they had consensual sex with Brooks in the car after meeting her at a bar. The men told investigators that Brooks requested to be dropped off, eventually asking to be left on the side of the highway after providing incorrect addresses. The Uber driver who struck Brooks has not been charged.
This is not the first contentious moment in the pre-trial phase. The prosecution has previously sought to remove Judge Ray from the case after it was revealed her son, Nelson Taylor, was convicted of rape in 1997. Carver and his uncle, Everett Lee, who was present in the car but had rape charges dismissed, also attempted to sue Brooks' mother for defamation over an interview she gave to Nancy Grace. They alleged Baustert defamed them by implying they were rapists in a July 2023 program.
Baustert has stated her intention to attend every court date for the defendants, calling it her duty to be present for the legal proceedings. She has expressed the emotional difficulty of balancing her role as a mother to her other children with her commitment to attending the trial.
