Honk News (Madera County, CA) – A former prison guard faced conviction on Tuesday for 64 counts involving rape, sodomy, and sexual battery against nine female inmates at California’s state prison in Chowchilla.
Gregory Rodriguez, 56, sat with his head in his hands as the staff in Madera County Superior Court announced the verdicts for all 97 counts. The jury delivered a verdict of not guilty on 21 counts, while they were unable to reach a decision on 12 additional charges.
Madera County District Attorney Sally Moreno initially brought charges against Rodriguez related to 13 women, yet the jury found him not guilty in four of those instances.
Supporters of the victims celebrated the decisions, while also urging for reforms to safeguard female inmates from sexual violence perpetrated by correctional staff.
Rodriguez’s family and friends occupied seats behind him in the courtroom, exhaling deeply as the guilty verdicts were announced consecutively.
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A 27-year veteran of the corrections department faces serious allegations of widespread sexual abuse while serving at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla. His assignment to Chowchilla spanned from 2010 to 2022.
Six female inmates have filed a civil lawsuit alleging that Rodriguez enticed them into a parole board hearing room, which lacked surveillance cameras, and sexually assaulted them. The legal dispute reached a resolution in October 2023, concluding with a settlement of $3.7 million.
Rodriguez started his journey with CDCR in 1995 as a cadet and concluded his career on Aug. 25, 2022, following inquiries from CDCR investigators regarding the allegations.
Rodriguez’s lawyer, Roger Wilson, stated that Rodriguez has consistently asserted his innocence.
If Rodriguez had been found guilty on all counts, he could have been sentenced to a maximum of 300 years behind bars. Rodriguez is set to receive a sentence at a later date.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the jury continued to deliberate on two sentencing enhancements, referred to as aggravating factors. The jury is tasked with determining whether the victims were “particularly vulnerable” and if Rodriguez exploited a position of trust or confidence to carry out the offenses.